(Posted 21st June 2024)
Courtesy of African Elephant News / Stenews
Two species of elephants living in Africa have been included in the new list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The forest elephant is listed as an endangered species, and the savanna elephant (considered the largest land animal) has been listed as endangered.
These two species used to be widespread in Africa, but in the last few decades their numbers have greatly decreased. Thus, in 31 years, the forest elephant population has decreased by 86%, and the savannah elephant population has decreased by 50% in the last 60 years. Both species have suffered from ivory poachers. Trade in this product was banned back in 1989, the peak of illegal sales was in 2011, according to experts.
In total, about 415000 elephants live in Africa. The population of forest elephants was stabilized in Gabon and the Republic of Congo, savanna elephants in Angola, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.
Experts note that elephants play an important role in the ecosystem of Africa. In addition, they are one of the brightest images of the region.
The IUCN list is updated three times a year.
