Both species of African elephant – the savanna and the forest elephant – have now been listed as endangered.
According to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, both African elephants are no longer vulnerable – they’re officially endangered. As per this list, the savanna elephant is now listed as “endangered,” while the forest elephant is now considered “critically endangered.”
According to the IUCN’s latest assessments, there was a “broadscale decline in African elephant numbers across the continent.” The number of forest elephants fell by 86 per cent over a period of 31 years, while the number of savanna elephants decreased by at least 60 per cent over the last 50 years.
African elephants were previously assessed as one species, but new genetic evidence has prompted the @IUCN to divide it into two separate categories – the forest elephant and the savannah elephant
— Telegraph Environment (@TeleEnvironment) March 25, 2021
“Africa’s elephants play key roles in ecosystems, economies, and in our collective imagination all over the world. Today’s new IUCN Red List assessments of both African elephant species underline the persistent pressures faced by these iconic animals,” said IUCN Director-General Dr Bruno Oberle.
African elephants are facing the risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature https://t.co/UV6PUPlssU pic.twitter.com/EZM1Gf6Pby
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 27, 2021
“The international community also has a critical role to play in ensuring poaching levels continue to drop significantly for this species to have a chance at recovery…We must continue to effectively engage key consumer groups to further advance this downward trend for forest elephants to have a chance to bounce back,” said Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) African Species Director Bas Huijbregts.
Craig’s wildlife photo of the week. I rarely work on Friday nights. So after a very hectic and crazy busy week at work, I’m relaxing and looking through my Africa photos. Here we have some thirsty African elephants. Chobe National Park (Botswana, 2017.) pic.twitter.com/KdwESv17x2
— Craig Smith (@Smith_CraigA) March 26, 2021
