Once ranged from the Mediterranean shores to the southern tip of Africa
The African elephant once ranged across most of the African continent from the Mediterranean coast to the southern tip. Although it is difficult to accurately assess population numbers, there may have been three to five million African elephants in the 1930s and 1940s.
However, in the wake of intensive hunting for trophies and their tusks, elephant numbers fell dramatically throughout the continent from the 1950s. In the 1980s, for example, an estimated 100,000 elephants were being killed per year and up to 80% of herds were lost in some regions. In Kenya, the population plummeted by 85% between 1973 and 1989.
In other countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa however, populations either remained stable or increased.
Current Population and Distribution
The forest elephant (L.a. cyclotis) is found in the tropical rainforest zone of west and central Africa, where relatively large blocks of dense forest remain, while the savanna elephant (L.a. africana) occurs in eastern and southern Africa, with the highest densities found in Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa.
Elephant numbers vary greatly over the 37 range states; some populations remain endangered, while others are now secure. For example, most countries in West Africa count their elephants in tens or hundreds, with animals scattered in small blocks of isolated forest; probably only three countries in this region have more than 1,000 animals. In contrast, elephant populations in southern Africa are large and expanding, with some 300,000 elephants now roaming across the sub-region.
Significant elephant populations are now confined to well-protected areas. However, less than 20% of elephant range is under formal protection. Today, it is estimated that between 470,000 and 690,000 elephants survive in Africa.