We compiled data from our research (2006-2018) along with published accounts dating back to 1975 on the desert-dwelling elephant population in our study area of Skeleton Coast National Park and western Kunene region. This includes the Hoarusib-Hoanib, and Uniab subpopulations. Our analysis of the data reveal the profound influence that humancaused mortality has had on the population. An initial precipitous decline occurred due to wartime poaching (1980s). That was followed by three decades of low-level humancaused mortality of adult elephants, which in addition to natural mortality and a low reproductive rate, has prevented recovery of these subpopulations to prewar levels. Despite recent gains from calves born (i.e. 2016-2017), the low number of breeding age bulls remaining in the Hoarusib, Hoanib (downstream of Sesfontein), and Uniab subpopulations (2, 2, and 3 breeding age bulls respectively) is a significant conservation 2 concern. First, reproduction will cease if these last few bulls are killed or die prematurely. And second, with so few bulls remaining, the danger of inbreeding is greatly increased. The current number of resident elephants in the Hoarusib-Hoanib subpopulation is 34 (based on exact counts of known individuals). This number is down from 2017 when there was a total of 36 elephants, because two deaths occurred in 2018. In the Uniab drainage study area, all of the elephants had gone out of the study area and into the surrounding mountains following the rains, so we were not able to observe them. The estimate from 2017 of ~50 elephants remains the most current estimate.