Instagram – Aug 12, 2021 @ 19:33
This year, for the first time, African elephant were categorised by the IUCN as two different species: forest elephants and bush or savannah elephants. Following population declines over several decades due to poaching for ivory and loss of habitat, the African forest elephant is now listed as Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant as Endangered by the IUCN. Before today’s update, both species were listed as Vulnerable.
The distinction of the species follows the emergence of new genetic evidence. Forest elephants occur in the tropical forests of Central Africa and in a range of habitats in West Africa. They rarely overlap with the range of the savanna elephant, which prefers open country and is found in a variety of habitats in Sub-Saharan Africa including grasslands and deserts. The forest elephant, which has a more restricted natural distribution, is thought to occupy only a quarter of its historic range today, with the largest remaining populations found in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.
This #WorldElephantDay let’s come together and spread the word about the plight of one of Africa’s most iconic animals
Image by @andrewbecksa via @africanparksnetwork