The killing of elephants in Africa for their ivory tusks has significantly increased over the last five years, as the price of ivory has rocketed to exceed that of gold, driven by demand from the new middle-class of China.

Charity Space for Giants, which employs just forty people to protect elephants has also warned that sympathy for elephant welare in Africa is tempered by the damage they can do to crops, an aspect that can deeply affect some of the poorest people on the planet.

An Elephant Appeal, to support the charity is being run by Independent newspapers and the Evening Standard.