"There Is No Easy Solution For 'Ghost Elephants'": Senegal Sighting Marks First In Five Years

In Senegal, an elephant so rare they’re considered near mythical has been caught on camera for the first time in half a decade. Known as “ghost elephants”, it’s thought there are only five to 10 left in Niokolo-Koba National Park, a place where there were once hundreds of elephants.

"Ghost elephant" is an umbrella term given to a number of tiny elephant populations in different locations. They get the name because sightings of these elephants have become so rare that nobody’s ever quite sure if they are still alive. That's what makes this latest sighting in Niokolo-Koba National Park so exciting.

The footage, captured by wild cat conservation organization Panthera and Senegal’s National Parks Directorate (DPN), was taken via a camera trap. It shows the ghost elephant known as Ousmane (named after a park ranger) pausing in front of the camera as he takes a night walk. This particular individual was last spotted in 2019, and he’s the only one to have been photographed here since 2020.

Teams in the park have also been collecting dung samples for DNA analysis, but so far have only been able to confirm the presence of this male. Searching for signs of other elephants will help us to establish if he has any chance of finding a mate, but so far, the evidence is thin on the ground.

Elephant numbers here were decimated by poaching and habitat loss, but hope hasn’t been abandoned just yet. This fresh sighting has sparked discussions of greater protections for the elusive elephants that remain, including whether it might be possible to establish a breeding population in the park.

That said, when dealing with a population where numbers are so low, conservation can get very complicated. The elephants in Niokolo-Koba National Park aren’t the only ghost population across Africa, and finding a way to help them is a tricky process.

“There is no easy solution for ‘ghost elephants’,” says the Elephant Crisis Fund. “Darting and moving elephants to a secure location has been tried, in Ivory Coast for example, but capturing these elusive individuals is very difficult and there is no guarantee that they will remain wherever they are moved to. The best chance may be for governments to establish and secure large enough protected areas in the hope that these wandering elephants will find them and feel safe enough to settle and perhaps breed.”

Success stories aren’t unheard of in the region, where West African lions, a critically endangered species, are currently making a comeback. Panthera, in collaboration with DPN, launched anti-poaching and scientific monitoring initiatives back in 2011, steps that have already benefited the lion and leopard populations. A few months back, they also reported the first sighting of a giant pangolin in 24 years, reviving hope for the species’ survival here.

So, keep the dream alive, ghost elephant. Who knows what the future holds.