Today is World Elephant Day as we raise awareness of these remarkable creatures and commit to their protection. African elephants, like those pictured here, are the largest living land animals, with bull elephants reaching 12 feet at the shoulder. With their distinctive trunks and large, flapping ears, they are among the first animals that every child recognizes. Adults marvel at the close family bonds they form and the way a herd bands together to protect their members and grieves when one of them dies. During their life span of about 60 to 75 years, the animals form a strong, social community.

Unfortunately, there are always sad headlines about the gray giants. Every day around 100 African elephants are killed by poachers and their tusks stolen for the lucrative and illegal ivory trade. The latest comprehensive census of African elephants shows that their populations have declined by 62% between 2002 and 2011 and that they have lost 30% of their geographic range, according to the World Wildlife Fund. And that decline is continuing - there are fears that the elephants could be on the verge of extinction by the end of the next decade. The wildlife biologist Dr. Jane Goodall has studied and written about elephants: 'I've watched elephants for hours,' she says, 'and understood what emotional creatures they are... It's not just an endangered species, it's also about massive individual suffering".

The family of elephants pictured here live in Kenya's Amboseli National Park, home to more than 1,500 African elephants and the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, which has been studying, monitoring and protecting African elephants for 50 years. On World Elephant Day, we should all find a way to help these majestic animals and guarantee them a safe, happy future in the wild.