African environment ministers say African forest elephants are threatened with extinction due to increasing threats related to climate change, habitat loss, illegal hunting and conflict. conflict between communities.

The risk of extinction is increasing for African elephants living in forests and savannas, according to Reuters, citing information published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to IUCN data, the number of savannah elephants in Africa has decreased by at least 60% over the past 50 years, while the number of forest elephants found mainly in Central Africa has only taken 31 years to decrease by 86%. The combined number of both species is now only about 415,000 individuals. Also in the latest report, IUCN analyzed 134,425 species, and found that more than a quarter of them are on the brink of extinction.

At an online meeting on January 26 organized by the “Elephant Protection Initiative”, according to Nigerian Environment Minister Sharon Ikeazor, the application of strong intervention measures to save the lives of forest elephants The remaining African elephants are essential because they are part of the continent’s animal heritage. Ms. Ikeazor stated that drastic actions are needed to save the elephants because they are facing many threats. threats such as habitat loss, disease, illegal hunting and pressures related to human population growth.

Also according to Nigeria’s Environment Minister, expanding protected areas, strengthening monitoring, community participation and law enforcement are key factors to ensure the survival of African forest elephants. Fly.

Also on this issue, Gabon’s Minister of Forestry, Oceans, Environment and Climate Change, Lee White, said that habitat degradation along with illegal hunting, conflicts and other phenomena Extreme climate has increased the threat to the survival of African forest elephants.

Mr. White called for interventions that include expanding forest cover, improving land use practices and encouraging local communities to protect and halt the decline of forests. number of this animal.

According to Cameroon’s Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Jules Doret Ndongo, protecting African forest elephants is a key factor in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem and earning foreign exchange from tourism.

Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland) declared that African forest elephants are at high risk of extinction because they are illegally hunted for their ivory and are lost. natural habitat quickly.

According to the African Wildlife Conservation Fund based in Nairobi (Kenya), more than 60% of the population of the above animal species has been illegally hunted in the past decade.

To help reduce elephant poaching, WWF has partnered with the Tanzanian government on a program to protect elephants in the Selous Game Reserve. With the help of satellite collars, the program is tracking 60 elephants to better protect them from poachers.

The collars are equipped with technology that receives information from satellites. Rangers can access that information on cell phones. This helps rangers track the elephants’ every movement so they can intervene if they enter areas where many poaching incidents have occurred or into human settlements. This is the largest wildlife monitoring program ever undertaken in Tanzania.

In March 2021, AP got images of the program’s effectiveness and activities when it went to Selous Conservation Area and Mikumi National Park to learn specifically about the campaign. AP said that, according to the Tanzanian government, this area has experienced a decline in the number of elephants by 60%, to 43,000 animals from 2009 to 2014. Most poaching cases occur in the Selous-Mikumi area.