For the first time, African elephants have been assessed as two distinct species—revealing an unexpectedly dire conservation outlook. The African forest elephant has been classified as Critically Endangered, while the African savanna elephant is now Endangered, underscoring decades of population loss driven by poaching and habitat destruction. (Sources: IUCN; Reuters)
A Split Reveals Stark Reality
Until 2021, all African elephants were grouped as a single species and listed as Vulnerable. After new genetic evidence prompted a reassessment, the IUCN Red List distinguished the forest and savanna species separately, exposing sharply disparate population trends. (Sources: IUCN; Reuters)
Emerging data uncovered an alarmingly steep decline: forest elephant numbers dropped over 86% in the preceding 31 years, leading to their new classification as Critically Endangered. Savanna elephants, while less severely impacted, have fallen by at least 60% over half a century, warranting an Endangered status. (Sources: IUCN; BBC; NHM)
Quantifying the Decline
A comprehensive study surveying 475 sites across 37 countries between 1964 and 2016 sheds further light. It found savanna elephant populations declined by approximately 70%, while forest elephant numbers plummeted by about 90% in the same areas. Factors include poaching for ivory in Asia, expanding agriculture, and habitat fragmentation.
Why the Forest Elephant Is So Vulnerable
Forest elephants inhabit dense, Central and West African rainforests. Their slower reproductive cycle—longer intervals between births and later maturity—renders them particularly susceptible to decline. Add in high levels of ivory poaching in these areas, and their path to recovery becomes steeper. (Sources: WWF; Our World in Data)
By contrast, savanna elephants inhabit more open terrain across southern and eastern Africa—areas with greater stability in some populations yet still threatened continent-wide.
A Glimmer of Hope in Senegal
A rare and hopeful breakthrough occurred this year: trail-camera footage captured an African forest elephant, nicknamed the “Ghost Elephant,” in Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park—marking the species’ first sighting there since 2020. Conservationists fear the elephant, named Ousmane, may be the last of his kind in the country. If confirmed, authorities may consider translocating female elephants to establish a new breeding population. (Sources: People; Reuters).
Conservation Challenges and Regional Variations
Despite the grim overall trajectory, there are examples of successful conservation. In parts of eastern and southern Africa, dedicated anti-poaching measures and habitat protection have stabilized or even increased elephant numbers. (Sources: AWF; Reuters; National Museum context).
Yet for forest elephants, whose numbers remain especially low, urgent, wide-scale action is essential.
Summary
The new IUCN classifications reveal that the African forest elephant is critically endangered—its population decimated by over 86%. Meanwhile, savanna elephants are also imperilled, with declines exceeding 60%. Pressing threats such as poaching, habitat loss, and slow reproductive rates worsen the outlook, especially for the forest species.
However, rare sightings like that of Ousmane in Senegal remind us that recovery is still possible. Conservation leaders must scale up protection, anti-trafficking initiatives, and breeding programs—particularly near-extinct populations—to ensure African elephants persist for generations to come.