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The African Forest Elephant has only been classified as a unique species since 2021, when it was confirmed that this animal is sufficiently different from the African Savannah Elephant to warrant being its own species. From the very beginning, the forest elephant has been critically endangered due to loss of habitat, poaching, and their generally slow reproduction cycles.
A new IUCN African Elephant Status Report has come out, however, that is giving conservationists some hope.
This report includes a significant update to the numbers thanks to extensive survey results that show that the total number of African Forest Elephants may be 10,000 higher than previously estimated. These updated numbers say that there is a total of about 135,690 forest elephants in the wild.
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Dr. Grethel Aguilar is the IUCN Director General, and he commented on this report, saying:
“This report provides the most accurate picture of elusive African forest elephant populations to date. It shows us that conservation action is working for these iconic animals, which are crucial forest ‘gardeners,’ essential for tree seed dispersal. With this new data, we have an unprecedented opportunity to focus conservation efforts where they are needed most and give the species a real chance to recover.”
Gathering the data was a difficult process that involved many environmentalists and conservationists working together. They primarily used a method known as DNA capture-recapture, which is where they collect samples of elephant dung and test it for unique DNA fingerprints.
This not only helps to identify unique members of the species, but it also provides for much greater levels of confidence in the numbers than would be possible from visual surveys alone.
African Forest Elephants are especially difficult to count using visual methods because of their habitat. While very large, the elephants can’t be easily spotted and specific unique identifiers are hard to find in the often dense forests.
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This species of elephant is found in 22 countries, with the majority of them living in Gabon and the Republic of Congo.
While promising, conservationists stress the importance of continuing to work to protect these important animals and ensure their long-term survival.
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