Which elephant species is listed as critically endangered and lives in Central African rainforests?

The African forest elephant is the elephant species listed as critically endangered and living in Central African rainforests.

Scientifically named Loxodonta cyclotis, it inhabits the humid forests of the Congo Basin and parts of West Africa. It is smaller than the African bush elephant, with straighter, downward-pointing tusks and more rounded ears. Forest elephants are important ecological engineers: by eating fruit and passing seeds through their dung, they help regenerate and diversify rainforest vegetation.

The species suffered a dramatic population collapse from ivory poaching, habitat loss, logging, mining, and forest fragmentation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified it as Critically Endangered in 2021 after assessments found that its population had fallen by more than 80% over three generations.

A common mix-up is treating 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 designation. Woolly mammoths are extinct, and Asian elephants live in Asia rather than Central African rainforests.