Alarming rate of decrease in African elephant count

Table of Contents

Context

A recent study has highlighted the severe decline of African elephant populations particularly savannah elephants and forest elephants.

Savannah elephants: Populations fell by approximately 70% at surveyed sites.
Forest elephants: Experienced an even steeper decline of around 90%.
Overall decline: Across both species and all surveyed sites, an average population reduction of 77% was observed.
Major reasons for this decline: Poaching and habitat loss. The Northern Sahel region (Mali, Chad and Nigeria) is affected due to high poaching pressures and limited protection.

Feature	Indian (Asian) Elephant	African Elephant
Ears	Smaller, rounded ears	Larger, fan-shaped ears resembling the shape of Africa
Tusks	Only some male Asian elephants have large, visible tusks. While most females and some males have small tusks, called tushes	Both males and females have large, curved tusks
Social Structure	Smaller herds of 5-15 females. The largest and oldest female elephant herd member is in charge (known as the matriarch) of the herd.	Larger herds of up to 70 elephants led by a matriarch.
Habitat	Found in forests, grasslands, and scrublands in Asia (e.g., India, Sri Lanka)	Inhabits savannas, forests and deserts across Africa
Conservation Status (IUCN)	Endangered	Savanna – Endangered Forest – Critically Endangered