In the 1920s elephants roamed nearly three-quarters of Uganda; by 1960 the area open to them was less than one-fifth. The survivors concentrated in national parks and reserves where they were protected, and where they were soon destroying the habitat. So two thousand were shot. But numbers remained high – until 1973. Counts in 1974 showed a dramatic reduction, and rotting carcases pointed to poaching as the cause. The destruction continued in 1975, and the authors believe that the outlook for Uganda's elephants is grim.