The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the world's largest terrestrial mammal. It is a species of considerable economic, ecological, cultural and aesthetic value to many people in the world. The elephant is a lagship species, providing a focus for raising awareness and stimulating action and funding for broader conservation efforts. Some of the most important decisions that have had to be made, and will continue to be made in wildlife management in Africa, revolve around elephants . There are many widely distributed populations of elephants in Africa. These range in size from fewer than 50 to more than 100,000 and experience varying levels of cohesion or isolation. The dynamics of these populations also vary, with some declining and others experiencing an increase in numbers. Overall, southern Africa's populations grew signiicantly from 1994 to 2002.