Environment / 13 weeks ago

Africa’s lost elephant landscape revealed

Once inhabited by over 27 million African elephants, Africa's majestic range is now a shadow of its former glory. Forest elephant species (Loxodonta cyclotis) roamed thick western and central jungles, while the bush or savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) stretched across sprawling grasslands. According to historical estimates, up to approximately 26.9 million elephants lived across Africa in the early 1800s, from the Sahel to the southern Highveld. Today, fragmented populations exist in isolated reserves.