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African forest elephants(Loxodonta cyclotis) are the elusive cousin of the African savanna elephant. They inhabit the dense rainforests of west and central Africa where Endangered Species International actively protects them.
Their preference for dense forest habitat prohibits traditional counting methods such as visual identification. Their population is usually estimated through "dung counts" - an analysis on the ground of the density and distribution of the feces. Each time, our field biologists
Habitat degradation and fragmentation, conflict with communities and illegal wildlife trade are jeopardizing their future.
And now, an increase in deforestation in Africa is pushing them to the very edge of survival.
African forest elephants are smaller than African savanna elephants, the other African elephant species. Their ears are more oval-shaped and their tusks are straighter and point downward. There are also differences in the size and shape of the skull and skeleton. Forest elephants also have a much slower reproductive rate than savanna elephants, so they cannot bounce back from population declines as quickly at the same rate. Their last strongholds are located in Gabon and the Republic of Congo, with smaller populations remaining in other African countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea) and Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, and Ghana in west Africa.
African forest elephants live in family groups of up to 20 individuals and forage on leaves, grasses, seeds, fruit, and tree bark. Since the diet of forest elephants is dominated by fruit, they play a crucial role in dispersing many tree species, particularly the seeds of large trees which tend to have high carbon content. They are therefore referred to as the 'mega-gardener of the forest'. To supplement their diet with minerals, they gather at mineral-rich waterholes and mineral licks found throughout the forest. Elephants are effective seed dispersers contributing to the regeneration of at least 41 timber species, such as Bobgunnia fistuloides (pao rosa), one of the most expensive woods on the market.
With a drastic decrease in their populations over the last decades, forest elephants are facing increasing human pressure. Their decline has serious ecological consequences, as they are key actors in shaping ecosystems.
Endangered Species International has been actively protecting forest elephants since 2008. To protect and restore their populations, we create protected areas, resolve human-elephant conflicts, support sustainable livelihood alternatives for the local communities living with elephants, increase elephant conservation awareness, and patrol key critical habitats to stop illegal poaching. Our work is effective as we estimate to have already saved around 1,800 forest elephants within our project sites in the Congo Basin. Join us today to sustain our efforts!
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