African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis).
Taken in Mana Pools National Park, near the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe.
Forest elephants are uniquely adapted to the dense forest habitat of the Congo Basin, but are in sharp decline due to poaching for the international ivory trade and habitat loss and fragmentation. The forest elephant is considered critically endangered.
African elephants are the largest animals walking the Earth.
There are two species - the savanna (or bush) elephant and the forest elephant. Savanna elephants are larger than forest elephants, and their tusks curve outwards. In addition to being smaller, forest elephants are darker and their tusks are straighter and point downward. There are also differences in the size and shape of the skull and skeleton between the two species.
African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis).
Taken in Mana Pools National Park, near the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe.
Forest elephants are uniquely adapted to the dense forest habitat of the Congo Basin, but are in sharp decline due to poaching for the international ivory trade and habitat loss and fragmentation. The forest elephant is considered critically endangered.
African elephants are the largest animals walking the Earth.
There are two species - the savanna (or bush) elephant and the forest elephant. Savanna elephants are larger than forest elephants, and their tusks curve outwards. In addition to being smaller, forest elephants are darker and their tusks are straighter and point downward. There are also differences in the size and shape of the skull and skeleton between the two species.