African Forest Elephant | Congo, Africa | Edward Mikol Photography

A young forest elephant in congo, africa enters the river to drink in the early morning hours. — African Forest Elephant

Congo, Africa

The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is a species native to tropical rainforests of West Africa and the Congo Basin. Formerly considered to be a subspecies of the African bush (savannah) elephant, morphological and DNA analysis showed that they are two distinct species. The forest elephant is generally reclusive, shy and skittish, preferring to use the dense forest habitat for cover – They are much less social than the savannah species. This adolescent was part of a small herd in the Congo that ventured out of the bush to drink.

Forest elephants are also smaller. Their tusks are straight and point downward, unlike the savanna elephants’ more curved tusks. They also have rounded ears while the savanna elephants’ ears are more pointed. Poaching, as well as habitat loss and fragmentation, has caused a sharp decline of the African forest elephant population. In 2013 it was estimated that fewer than 30,000 individuals remained. Since 2021, it has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Photo © copyright by Dr. Edward Mikol.

Photo Prints

African Forest Elephant print

Select a print size:

Metal Prints

African Forest Elephant print

Select a print size:

Canvas Prints

African Forest Elephant print

Select a print size:

Acrylic Prints

African Forest Elephant print

Select a print size:

Related Galleries: Elephants