The human foster parents saving Kenya's orphans issue World Elephant Day appeal

World Elephant Day aims to celebrate the world's largest land mammal.

However, with the population plummeting, it could soon be a day to remember they once existed.

The number of African elephants has shrunk from about five million a century ago to less than 500,000, which is why members of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust dedicate their lives to acting as human foster parents for the animals.

Illicit demand for elephant ivory has led to devastating losses for the population of African elephants and forest elephants, the population of which declined by an estimated 62 per cent between 2002 and 2011.

In Kenya a group of volunteers spend 24-hours a day looking after orphaned baby African elephants in a battle to ensure the species' survival.

They believe the global campaign is finally gaining momentum but want a special message to be shared across the world.