South Africa may one day be the only country in Africa to have elephants left in the wild.

The warning from David Barritt, Africa director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, comes amid reports that widespread poaching is already taking place throughout the continent although the ban on trade in ivory will only be officially lifted in December 1998.

Barritt said that since the Cites decision in July, poaching had increased in Zambia, Kenya, Ghana, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The fund this week donated R1,2-million to the National Parks Board which will go towards the expansion of the elephant habitat at the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape.