As of 2021, African Forest Elephants are critically endangered. “World Wild Life” has mentioned that these elephants in Africa are facing massive issues. Ivory and bushmeat poaching has caused a 62% decline in their population, which is huge. With this significant decline in a small amount of time, the African Forest Elephants don’t stand a chance. We have the ability to raise awareness and make a difference.

Every Time a species of animal becomes extinct, there are massive impacts to their ecosystems. For example, the Caribbean Monk Seal was declared extinct in 1994 due to illegal hunting and trade. When these seals became extinct, it had a negative impact on Caribbean coral reefs and contributed to why most of them are almost gone. Another example is the Western Black Rhinoceros. Between 1960 to 1995, 98% of Black Rhinos were killed by poachers. This doesn't just affect one species but their whole ecosystem. Animal extinction is more common and is turning into a domino effect. And not enough people know about it. 

If not enough awareness is brought to this problem, according to “Plant Based News”, scientists have predicted that about 1 million animals will be extinct by 2030. This includes the African Forest Elephants.  These elephants are incredibly smart and beautiful. And they keep their ecosystem well balanced. These elephants live in dense tropical forests in West and Central Africa. They are known as the “mega-gardener of the forest” because they disperse many tree species since their main food source is fruit and leaves. 

These elephants are having a very hard time surviving. They are a main target in illegal hunting and trafficking. Ivory is a very high demand item, and with so much loss in the population of elephants, it’s in even more demand. Most governments in those areas do not have the funds or people to keep these elephants protected. With the uncontrolled poaching, tens of thousands of these elephants are killed every year. 

Another big problem the African Forest Elephants are facing is their environment. These elephants used to have a lot of room to roam freely, but now with expanding human populations, their land is now limited. There has been a lot of habitat loss, and since their dense forests have been lost, poachers are able to find them easier. But now, there is more human-elephant conflict. Now with the elephants' lost land, humans and elephants are coming into contact more. Most farms are now in elephant habitats and where they migrate. 

It is important to bring awareness to this topic. It is not just African Forest Elephants that are suffering; so many populations have decreased in recent years and it will lead to extinction. A way to help is by donating to organizations that specialize in the protection of critically extinct animals. There are many wildlife organizations, like World Wild Life, that have the drive to stop illegal trafficking, hunting, and keep these wild animals safe. People can also do their research and spread the word to their friends, family, school, and social media. The more people that know about what is happening the better. We have the power and resources to make a change, we just have to commit to working hard so these animals can have a chance to live in peace.  

Works Cited

“African Forest Elephant | Species | WWF.” World Wildlife Fund, worldwildlife.org/species/african-forest-elephant. Accessed 3 May 2023.

Born, Jacob, and Phillippe Chassot. “Can Elephants Save the Planet? : SLU.” Saint Louis University, 23 January 2023, slu.edu/news/2023/january/elephants-atmospheric-carbon-research.php. Accessed 3 May 2023.

Buxton, Amy. “Biodiversity In Crisis: One Species Is Dying Out Every 10 Minutes.” Plant Based News, 5 July 2022, plantbasednews.org/news/biodiversity-crisis-species-extinction/. Accessed 3 May 2023.

Platt, John R. “How the Western Black Rhino Went Extinct - Scientific American Blog Network.” Scientific American Blogs, 13 November 2013, blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/how-the-western-black-rhino-went-extinct/. Accessed 3 May 2023.

“Recently Extinct Animals and Causes.” Iberdrola, iberdrola.com/sustainability/extinct-animals. Accessed 3 May 2023.