Continent-wide survey reveals massive decline in African savannah elephants

Abstract

African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are imperiled by poaching and habitat loss. Despite global attention to the plight of elephants, their population sizes and trends are uncertain or unknown over much of Africa. To conserve this iconic species, conservationists need timely, accurate data on elephant populations. Here, we report the results of the Great Elephant Census (GEC), the first continent-wide, standardized survey of African savannah elephants. We also provide the first quantitative model of elephant population trends across Africa. We estimated a population of 352,271 savannah elephants on study sites in 18 countries, representing approximately 93% of all savannah elephants in those countries. Elephant populations in survey areas with historical data decreased by an estimated 144,000 from 2007 to 2014, and populations are currently shrinking by 8% per year continent-wide, primarily due to poaching. Though 84% of elephants occurred in protected areas, many protected areas had carcass ratios that indicated high levels of elephant mortality. Results of the GEC show the necessity of action to end the African elephants’ downward trajectory by preventing poaching and protecting habitat.

Radiocarbon dating of seized ivory confirms rapid decline in African elephant populations and provides insight into illegal trade

“…However, we note that the radiocarbon calibration and related uncertainties have large associated errors and that refined regional radiocarbon calibrations may provide better constraints on regional differences in lag times. where data show population decline due to unsustainable poaching rates, especially in Central and East Africa (3,4). As a result, it may take longer to accumulate enough large tusks to make a large shipment more profitable.…”

“…wildlife | forensics | isotopes | Africa | genetics T he illegal trade in elephant ivory has increased significantly in the past decade (1,2), with studies estimating the current rate of decline of regional African elephant populations to be as high as 8%, primarily due to poaching (3,4). Central African forest elephant populations decreased by ca.…”

Untitled

“…Similarly, between 2011 and 2014 NNR's elephant population declined by 63 per cent to an estimated 4,440 individuals in 2014, driven by illegal ivory poaching (Grossmann et al, 2014;Booth & Dunham, 2014). This equates to an estimated loss of just over 7,500 animals -one of the most catastrophic declines on the continent (Chase et al, 2016). Other emerging threats to NNR's wildlife, which could also have negative impacts on forest cover, include artisanal mining and charcoal production (Papworth et al, 2017).…”

A Spanner in the Works: Human–Elephant Conflict Complicates the Food–Water–Energy Nexus in Drylands of Africa

“…Indeed, with expanding permanent agriculture, HEC appears to be increasing in many African ecosystems as the agricultural interface with FIGURE 1 | African drylands and present-day elephant range; the drylands map adopted from UNEP-WCMC (2007), and the known elephant range map reproduced from Chase et al (2016) and Thouless et al (2016).…”

“…Crucially, the human population within the countries making up the elephant range in Africa (Figure 1) mostly live in rural areas (Martin, 2016). In most of these elephant range countries, the minimum human density for elephant co-existence (Parker and Graham, 1989) has been exceeded, resulting in population declines and severe range contraction of elephants (Douglas-Hamilton, 1987;Bouché et al, 2011;de Boer et al, 2013;Chase et al, 2016).…”