Elephants are one of the most beloved animals on earth — and yet their populations continue to dwindle to the point that now both African and Asian elephants are endangered.

Some have been killed by poachers, despite an international ban on ivory trade. And in countries such as Kenya, other elephants have been killed by farmers or wildlife rangers in recent years as the animal’s indigenous habitat has been overtaken by farms.

The Associated Press asked fourth-graders from Sandra Murray’s class at the Burris Laboratory School at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., to submit questions about elephants.

The answers were provided by Jason Bell, an elephant expert who is regional director for southern Africa for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a conservation and animal welfare organization.

How many elephants were in the world before mankind started hunting them?

No one is exactly sure how many elephants there once were, but they are highly endangered now. In Africa, for instance, there were about 1.3 million elephants in 1981 — and now only about 300,000 remaining. Worldwide, there are only about 350,000 elephants left.

Why do elephants have tusks?

An elephant uses its tusks to dig in the ground and forage in the brush for food. Tusks also are used by an elephant to defend itself and to attract mates. Tusks are actually special kinds of teeth that keep growing throughout an elephant’s life. While both male and female African elephants have tusks, only males have them in Asia.

When people kill elephants for their tusks, do they leave the rest of the body?

Yes. This is called poaching, and it is the primary reason elephants are endangered. Elephant tusks are made of ivory, and although buying and selling ivory is illegal, there is still big demand for it on the black market.

How do elephants communicate?

Elephants are extremely social and communicate using different senses such as touch, smell, sight and hearing. Touch, in particular, is very important to elephants. Mother elephants “trunk-slap” children as a form of discipline, and elephants wrap trunks as a greeting — like a handshake or hug.

Elephants also “talk” to one other using a variety of calls that serve as greetings, warnings, screams, roars, cries and other messages. Elephants have at least 25 distinct calls and can recognize the calls of specific elephants. Many of their calls are inaudible to humans.

An African elephant roams the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda in this undated handout photo. African elephants, some killed by poachers despite an international ban on ivory trade, are now endangered.

What does an elephant eat?

Elephants are vegetarians and eat flowers, fruits, roots, leaves and grasses. They eat hundreds of pounds of food and drink up to 50 gallons of water a day.

Why do elephants have small eyes compared to their huge bodies and other body parts?

A: It’s not that an elephant’s eye is so small, but that the rest of it is so big. Elephants are the largest living land animal. Males can be taller than 13 feet and weigh more than15,000 pounds.

Q: How fast can elephants run?

A: Elephants can run up to 30 mph, faster than a person.

Q: How old do elephants live to be?

A: Elephants can live 60 to 70 years, if protected. The older an elephant is, the more important it is to its family. Elephants live together in herds, like families, and the oldest female elephant is the head of the family. This female leader — called a matriarch — is important because she teaches the other elephants where to look for food during droughts, how to respond to danger and other survival skills.

Elephants are extremely smart and have excellent memories, so the older an elephant, the wiser. Older male elephants are also considered the most attractive mates. However, older elephants are more threatened by poachers because they usually have the longest tusks.