The Tanzanian government’s census of elephants in the country reveals some devastating news: Since 2009, the country has lost close to 60% of its elephants.

The minister of natural resources and tourism Lazaro Nyalandu blames poaching for the animals’ ivory tusk as the primary reason for such high number of deaths. “The probable reason could be an increased demand for ivory, particularly in the Far East countries,” he said at a press conference.

This news comes a week after Tanzania’s southern neighbor Mozambique announced its own census of the country’s elephant population which revealed that they have lost close to 50% of the animals.