Elephant Ecologists might Chase has spent years counting Savannah elephants from the sky.

Never before have we ever conducted a standard I survey for African elephants at a continental scale.

Um hmm.

Ally.

Right Start counting.

Nine speed.

Nice height, Well done.

Semi.

Hundreds of aircrew countered elephants in 18 countries across the continent over two years.

Elephants seven, seven elephants, right For three hours a day, they flew 10 minute trance sects at a time, flying the distance to the moon and then some.

Their results more shocking than anyone imagined, flying over areas where elephants historically occurred but are no longer present in these habitats, killed for their ivory.

In seven short years, up to 2014 elefant numbers dropped by a staggering amount almost one third across Africa.

Their numbers are crashing.

If nothing changes, the elephant population will have in less than a decade.

In some areas, they will go extinct.

It's incredibly disheartening, because I know that historically, these ecosystems supported many thousands of elephants compared to the few hundreds or tens of elephants, some landscapes.

We saw more dead elephants than live elephants.

Botswana is one of the last strongholds of elephants.

But now the poaching wars are on its doorstep.

That seems like there's a disturbing uptick in the poaching on the borders off Botswana.

Andi in Namibia, I don't think anybody in the world has seen the number of dead elephants that of seen over the last two years of the great Elephants census, and for me this becomes a lot more personal.

It's at home, and, you know, I've often Bean asked, if I'm optimistic or pessimistic about the future of African elephants, and on days like today, I feel that we are failing elephants.

I thought Botswana had long eluded the ivory wars, but all evidence to the contrary, we'll continue to check.

Went to To fight the war.

Botswana has mobilized the Army, with more than 700 troops guarding its northern border Patrol spent days in the bush on foot.

They're up against a sophisticated enemy, so they're looking for any sign off poachers if they come across in their often highly organized groups of about 12 people, two of them could be shooters often, and those shooters are frequently foreign special forces.

Slowly, slowly Mike chases.

Research proves that If we can't protect elephants, they will learn to protect themselves so you can hear him.

Snoring isn't here.

He is in his crime about 30 to 35 years of age.

And it's these young bulls that have the propensity to move dramatic distances and met their transboundary conservation corridors.

But their satellite tracking shows that the elephants use incredible levels of intelligence to avoid poaching hotspots in neighboring countries, retreating to the relative safety within Botswana, using this technology to save God and protect elephants to find them quickly on respond.

It's quite quite incredible being this close to this, it iss It certainly is way called this bull promise for the promise that my chase has made to save this magnificent species.