Ivory Coast without ivory? Elephant populations are declining rapidly in
Co^te d'Ivoire

Date:
October 14, 2020
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Recent years have witnessed a widespread and catastrophic decline in
the number of forest elephants in protected areas in Co^te d'Ivoire,
according to a new study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Recent years have witnessed a widespread and catastrophic decline in
the number of forest elephants in protected areas in Co^te d'Ivoire,
according to a study published October 14 in the open-access journal
PLOS ONE by Sery Gonedele' Bi of Universite' Fe'lix Houphoue"t-Boigny d'Abidjan-Cocody, and colleagues.


==========================================================================
In precolonial and colonial times, Co^te d'Ivoire probably hosted one
of the largest elephant populations in West Africa, resulting in the
country's name, which translates to Ivory Coast. During the last three
decades, elephant populations have sharply decreased, mainly because
of forest agricultural clearing. By the early 1990s, the total number
of savannah and forest elephants in the entire country was estimated
to be less than 360. The most recently collected data on Co^te d'Ivoire elephants are at least one decade old, and most of these studies did not
follow a standardized protocol. In the new study, the authors present
updated information on the distribution and conservation status of
forest elephants in Co^te d'Ivoire. The authors analyzed dung counts,
records of human-elephant conflicts, media reports, and interview survey
data obtained from 2011 to 2017.

Of the 25 protected areas surveyed, elephant presence was confirmed
in only four areas, where elephant density was low. More than half of
the protected areas had been completely converted to farms and human settlements. Protected areas with higher levels of protection had a
higher probability of hosting an elephant population. The presence of
elephants inside protected areas was affected by human population size,
habitat degradation, and the proportion of forest converted to cocoa plantation. According to the authors, aggressive conservation actions, including law enforcement and ranger patrolling, are needed to protect
the remaining forest elephant populations.

The authors add: "The large majority of the protected area of Co^te
d'Ivoire has lost its entire elephant populations as a consequence of the
lack of conservation measures. Out of the 25 protected areas surveyed,
forest elephants of Co^te d'Ivoire are now confined into small populations
in four protected areas."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jean-Louis Kouakou, Sery Gonedele' Bi, Eloi Anderson Bitty,
Ce'lestin
Kouakou, Alphonse Kouassi Yao, Kouadio Be'noi^type Kasse',
Soulemane Ouattara. Ivory Coast without ivory: Massive extinction
of African forest elephants in Co^te d'Ivoire. PLOS ONE, 2020; 15
(10): e0232993 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232993 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201014141109.htm

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