Forest
elephant numbers have decreased by 62% across Central
Africa over the last 10 years, according to a study.
The analysis
confirmed fears that African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are heading
for extinction, possibly within the next decade.
Conservationists
said "effective, rapid, multi-level action is imperative" in order to
save the elephants.
They are concerned
the forest elephants are being killed for their ivory.
Results of the
study, undertaken by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
and several other conservation organisations, are published in the scientific
journal PLoS One.
Over 60
co-authors contributed to the study, which was led by Dr Fiona Maisels, a WCS
conservation scientist from the School
of Natural Sciences , University of Stirling
"Although
we were expecting to see these results, we were horrified that the decline over
the period of a mere decade was over 60%," Dr Maisels told BBC Nature.
Findings also
indicated that large areas where the elephants ranged just 10 years ago now
have very few elephants remaining.
Continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21655613
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