Saving endangered forest elephants with DNA and data

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Earlier this century, industrial-scale poaching killed roughly two-thirds of all African forest elephants in the tropical forests of Central and West Africa, the only places they live. Today, only around 135,000 remain, a recent report estimates.

And while poaching for elephant ivory has slowed, the pace at which their habitat is being carved up for oil palm, cocoa, and rubber plantations—as well as expanding human development—has kept the species on the brink.

These dire numbers underscore the need for more creative solutions. In the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas of the Central African Republic, for example, WWF researchers are testing genomic methods to identify individual elephants using DNA from their dung. Combined with advanced statistical approaches, the work will improve population estimates, track animal movements, and strengthen protection of its iconic elephants. In addition, a WWF-supported trinational eco-guard brigade can now pursue poachers across international borders, and in Cameroon, WWF is helping communities—working alongside state-led efforts—take wildlife criminals to court.

Individually, each effort is making a small difference. Collectively, their impact can be huge.