Rangers from across the southern African region, including Namibia, have established a new community of practice for monitoring and reporting on elephant mortality. Accurate and consistent data on elephant deaths is crucial for understanding and effectively addressing the threats faced by 'nature's gardeners', which include human-elephant conflict, habitat loss and the illegal killing for ivory. Reliable data allows for informed decision-making and effective conservation measures to ensure the long-term survival of African elephants in their natural habitats. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora's (CITES) Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme, in partnership with the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), successfully delivered a training session for 39 rangers at the SAWC campus, located in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. Participating countries included Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which have been successful in their conservation of elephants and together are home to the largest and healthiest populations of African elephants.