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Poaching of forest elephants in Central Africa
Central Africa holds about 95 percent of forest elephants and has one of the highest proportions of illegally killed elephants in the CITES MIKE programme.
Open on the interactive globeThe forest elephant status report presented at CITES CoP20 in November 2025 estimates about 135,690 animals, 66 percent of them in Gabon. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve in DR Congo and the W-Arly-Pendjari complex together lost about 7,000 elephants. According to MIKE analysis, the proportion of illegally killed elephants in Central Africa was 0.58 in 2023 and remains high despite a decline since 2019.
Species
| Species | IUCN status | Population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta cyclotis | critically endangered (IUCN CR) | (2024) | iucn.org |
Needs
- anti-poaching
- habitat
Who is helping
Organisations that, according to their own publications, work on this event (2). Donations go directly to each organisation's own website - GLOBURNS does not handle payments.
- Save the Elephants (STE)Save the Elephants researches elephant behaviour and works against poaching and human-elephant conflict. It runs a research centre in Samburu National Reserve (since…Donate on the organisation's website (savetheelephants.org)
- Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT)The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rescues and raises orphaned elephants and rhinos and runs anti-poaching patrols. It operates five orphan units, in Nairobi National Park…Donate on the organisation's website (sheldrickwildlifetrust.org)
Sources
- iucn.org iucn.org/press-release/202511/dna-methods-help-uncover-further-african-forest-elephants-s…
- cites.org cites.org/sites/default/files/documents/E-SC78-65-01_1.pdf
- news.mongabay.com news.mongabay.com/2026/01/poaching-down-but-threats-remain-for-forest-elephants-recent-po…
- iucnredlist.org iucnredlist.org/species/pdf/204404464
Seed record, before editorial verification. Every number links to its source; report errors on the Corrections page. Methodology · Corrections
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