Which elephant species is classified as critically endangered?

The African forest elephant is classified as critically endangered.

Its scientific name is Loxodonta cyclotis, and it lives mainly in the humid tropical forests of West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, with straighter, downward-pointing tusks than those of African bush elephants.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the species as Critically Endangered in 2021 after evidence showed that its population had fallen by more than 80% over three generations. Major threats include ivory poaching, habitat loss, forest fragmentation, and conflict in regions affected by human activity.

A common mix-up is to treat all African elephants as one species. The African bush elephant is a separate species and is classified as Endangered, while the African forest elephant has the more severe Critically Endangered status. Both African species have also been protected under CITES restrictions on international trade in elephant ivory.