Directions: Read the following passage and choose the best answer.
   (Paragraph 1) The sharp decline of the elephant population in Tanzania, most likely due to poaching, is worrying. The country’s government has just estimated that 65,721 elephants died there in the last five years. The report showed the number of Tanzanian elephants had plummeted. In 2009, there were an estimated 109,051. By 2014, the number was down to 43,330.
   (Paragraph 2) The Tanzanian ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar have also become main exit points for vast amounts of ivory. At least 45 tons of ivory have flowed from Tanzania to international markets in Asia since 2009.
   (Paragraph 3) Across Tanzania, some smaller elephant populations had increased. In the famed Serengeti region, the numbers rose from 3,068 to 6,087 animals. However, beyond the most heavily visited tourist locations, elephant numbers were significantly down.
   (Paragraph 4) The Tanzanian government says it has added an additional 1,000 rangers to protect wildlife. However , there is a real risk that it could be a case of too little too late for some elephant populations.
   (Paragraph 5) In February, China imposed a one-year ban on ivory imports. The ban took immediate effect, but its citizens’ desire for ivory has fueled poaching that threatens the life of African elephants.

The number of elephants in Tanzania five years ago was ________.