Quick answer
Yes. IUCN split African elephants in March 2021: savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) are Endangered; forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are Critically Endangered. This page is the savanna species. Both listings reflect multi-decade declines from ivory poaching and habitat loss — not a single bad year. Figures checked 13 August 2026.
Are savanna and forest elephants the same listing?
No. Until 2021 IUCN treated African elephants as one Vulnerable species. Genetic evidence and separate trend data produced two listings: savanna Endangered (>50% decline over three generations, about 75 years) and forest Critically Endangered (~86% decline over about 31 years). Combining them again would hide the forest-elephant collapse. Regional parks can still be safer or worse than the headline.
What is driving the decline?
Ivory poaching remains the historic driver of the steepest drops; habitat conversion and fences then lock herds into conflict with farms. Drought and shrinking water access add pressure on savanna populations. Forest elephants lose logging concessions and roads that open hunting access. Ranking those threats changes by country — a Botswana fence is not a Gabon poaching network.
Is the outlook the same everywhere?
No. Where monitoring and enforcement hold, some savanna populations have stabilised. Fragmented groups still need corridors and genetic exchange. Forest elephants recover slowly even when poaching eases, because they reproduce slowly. A tourism poster from one reserve is not a continent-wide trend. IUCN’s combined ~415,000 figure (2021) is a remainder, not a recovery target already met.
What actually helps?
Fund anti-poaching that stays funded, keep corridors open, and refuse ivory. Riding and bathing attractions are not rescue. WARN’s elephant appeal funds partner-led rescue across range countries. It does not run its own elephant camps.
How does diet link to human conflict?
Adults may eat on the order of 150 kg of vegetation and drink tens of litres of water in a day, spending many hours feeding. When farms replace forage routes, crop raiding follows. That is why habitat corridors are an Endangered-species tool, not a landscaping extra. This page is not a zoo diet sheet.
Sources
African Elephant FAQs
Are African elephants endangered?
Yes — but there are two African species, assessed separately since March 2021. The savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) is IUCN Endangered after a decline of more than 50% over three generations (~75 years). The forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is Critically Endangered after an 86% decline over ~31 years. This profile follows the savanna species; forest elephants are a worse listing, not a subspecies footnote.
How many African elephants are left?
IUCN’s 2021 announcement cited on the order of 415,000 African elephants of both species combined. That is a continent-scale remainder after decades of ivory poaching and habitat loss, not a park-by-park census. Southern African strongholds can look stable while forest-elephant range in Central Africa stays in collapse. Always cite species and year.
Are Asian elephants the same listing?
No. Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are a different species, also Endangered, with their own range and conflict pattern. Do not mix ivory-trade headlines for Africa with Asian crop-conflict stories and call it one number. See our Asian elephant endangered guide for that species.
What actually helps elephants?
Anti-poaching that lasts, corridors that keep herds moving, and reducing ivory demand. Tourism helps only when operators do not offer riding, bathing, or cub handling. World Animal Rescue Network’s elephant appeal funds partner-led rescue; WARN does not run its own elephant camps.
Who this page is for.This page explains IUCN-style status. Skip it if you need an emergency wildlife-rescue number.