Africa’s Elephants Face 50-Year Decline - Can They Be Saved?

Surveying elephants across Africa has been a challenging and sporadic effort due to logistical difficulties, civil unrest, and funding constraints. However, a new study compiling data from 1,325 surveys over 50 years has revealed a dramatic decline in elephant populations, writes George Wittemyer for The Conversation Africa.

African savanna elephants have declined by 70%, while forest elephants have plummeted by over 90%, driven by ivory poaching, habitat loss, and human population growth. Southern Africa, particularly Botswana and Zimbabwe, has seen stable or growing populations, while northern and central Africa have experienced severe losses, with many populations nearing extinction. 

The study called for the urgent need for innovative conservation strategies, including public-private partnerships for protected area management, landscape planning for human-elephant coexistence, and intensified efforts to combat ivory poaching. Africa's human population will more than double over the next 50 years, putting more pressure on Africa's wildlands.