Worst African elephant loss in 25 years

Geneva

Africa's elephant population has seen the worst declines in the last 25 years, with their numbers falling by about 111,000, mainly due to poaching over the past ten years, according to a new report.

Researchers at the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) studied the numbers and distribution of African elephant populations across their 37 range states in sub-Saharan Africa.

The report presented more than 275 new or updated estimates for individual elephant populations across Africa, with over 180 of these arising from systematic surveys.

For the first time in almost a decade, it studied the elephant numbers at the continental, regional and national levels along with examining the changes in population estimates at the site level.

Based on population estimates from a wide range of sources, including aerial surveys and elephant dung counts, the estimates for 2015 are 93,000 lower than in 2006.

However, this figure includes 18,000 from previously uncounted populations. Therefore, the real decline from estimates is considered closer to 111,000.

The continental total is now thought to be about 415,000 elephants although there may be an additional 117,000 to 135,000 elephants in areas not systematically surveyed.

The surge in poaching for ivory that began about a decade ago — the worst that Africa has experienced since the 1970s and 1980s — has been the main driver of the decline, while habitat loss poses an increasingly serious, long-term threat to the species, according to the report.

"These new numbers reveal the truly alarming plight of the majestic elephant — one of the world's most intelligent animals and the largest terrestrial mammal alive today," said Inger Andersen, IUCN Director General.

"It is shocking but not surprising that poaching has taken such a dramatic toll on this iconic species. This report provides further scientific evidence of the need to scale up efforts to combat poaching," she said.

"Nevertheless, these efforts must not detract from addressing other major and increasingly devastating threats such as habitat loss," she added.

With over 70 per cent of the estimated African elephants, Southern Africa has by far the largest number of the species — about 293,000 elephants in systematically surveyed areas.

Eastern Africa holds about 86,000 (20 per cent) estimated elephants, while Central Africa has about 24,000 estimated elephants (6 per cent).

West Africa continues to hold the smallest regional population with about 11,000 elephants (below 3 per cent).

Eastern Africa has experienced an almost 50 per cent elephant population reduction, largely attributed to an over 60 per cent decline in Tanzania's elephant population.

"This report not only provides information on the changes in elephant numbers but, because it is spatial, it also shows where these changes are occurring," said Chris Thouless, from IUCN. — PTI