There Could Be 10,000 More African Forest Elephants Than We Thought – But They’re Still Critically Endangered

African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) were only recognized as a species separate from the African savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) in 2021. Now, new evidence and survey techniques have suggested there could be as many as 10,000 more forest elephants than previously thought. 

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The new assessment totals 135,690 forest elephants, 16 percent more than the figure estimated in 2016, with an additional 7,728-10,990 individuals based on more tentative work. If factoring in both estimates and guesses, the report suggests the entire forest elephant population could be as high as 145,050.

While these numbers are encouraging, the African forest elephant remains under the Critically Endangered category on the IUCN Red List, facing the threats of poaching and habitat destruction. Forest elephants also live in smaller family groups, take longer to reach sexual maturity, and have longer generation times compared to savannah elephants, which makes it harder to quickly replenish their numbers.

“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,” said Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General, in a statement sent to IFLScience. 

Getting this updated information was no easy feat. African forest elephants are notoriously hard to count due to their thick forest homes. However, by using methods like DNA capture-recapture, which involves identifying unique DNA fingerprints from elephant dung, and then using them to build a picture of the individuals in a known area, scientists can work out populations with a greater degree of reliability. Thanks to the work of the dedicated team, 94 percent of the total reported forest elephant population now comes from high confidence estimates rather than only the 53 percent reached in 2016. 

“Accurate and up-to-date data are critical for understanding the status of African Forest Elephants and strengthening their protection. This report provides a bright spot about these critical species, while underscoring the importance of continuing to address threats to African Forest Elephant populations,” said Yuta Masuda, Director of Science, Allen Family Philanthropies.

African forest elephants are found in 22 countries. Gabon holds 66-69 percent of the world’s global African forest elephant population, with 17-19 percent found in the Republic of Congo. The remaining population is scattered across four other Central African countries, with even smaller groups in West, East, and Southern Africa. In these regions, 

The full IUCN African Elephant Status Report can be found here.