Saving the African Forest Elephant from extinction

Saving the African Forest Elephant from extinction
Saving the African Forest Elephant from extinction

Saving the African Forest Elephant from extinction

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Scientists once believed that the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) was a subspecies of the more well-known African elephant. But recent science shows that forest elephants are a separate species altogether. They live mostly in Central and West Africa and many kinds of fruit trees can’t survive without them. Recent studies show that forest elephants face extinction. Due to poaching and habitat destruction, the forest elephants’ numbers have dipped by 65 percent over the last decade. Dr. Elizabeth Bennett is vice president for Species Conservation at the Wildlife Conservation Society. She’ll show us what she believes are alarming trends for the Forest elephant and what it could mean for the region’s ecosystem. (Photo/ Flickr/United States Government Work)