Mammals
African Forest Elephant
Loxodonta cyclotis
Through the dense green of the Congo Basin, an African forest elephant follows an ancient trail between fruiting trees, its straight tusks pointing downward and its seeds planting the forest ahead.
Overview
The African forest elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis, is a Critically Endangered elephant of the rainforests of Central and West Africa. As a smaller, darker elephant now recognised as a separate species, and as a key seed disperser of the forest, it is one of the most important and most threatened large mammals in Africa.
The forest’s gardener
Because forest elephants carry large seeds so far from their parent trees, losing them changes which trees grow and how much carbon the forest stores.
Status
Critically Endangered, with a decreasing population.
African Forest Elephant: common questions
How is the African forest elephant different from the savanna elephant?
It is smaller and darker, with rounder ears and straighter tusks that point downward.
Why is the forest elephant called a gardener of the forest?
It eats large fruits and drops the seeds far from the parent tree, helping to shape the composition of the forest.
Why is the African forest elephant critically endangered?
It has lost the great majority of its population over the past few decades, largely to poaching for ivory.
Where is the African forest elephant found?
It lives in rainforest in the Congo Basin of Central Africa and in parts of West Africa.