 In 2016, the global population was estimated at 415,428 ± 20,111 individuals distributed in a total area of , of which 30% is protected.42% of the total population lives in nine Southern African countries comprising 293,447 ± 16,682 individuals; Africa's largest population lives in Botswana with 131,626 ± 12,508 individuals.The social behavior of elephants in captivity mimics that of those in the wild.