If you’re on this website, chances are you already know elephant populations are in trouble. But, how bad is it? And who makes that call, anyway? We’ll walk you through what it means to be endangered, the current status of elephant species, the laws that protect endangered species, and what we can do to help.
What does “endangered” mean?
An “endangered” species is one that is at a real risk of going extinct—meaning, there aren’t any members of the species left on earth. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that assesses how close a species is to extinction. It organizes species on its Red List into nine categories, with assessed species ranging from least concern to extinct.
Species are divided into “taxons” for inclusion on the Red List. A taxon (plural taxa) is a name for any unit that can be scientifically classified, such as a species or subspecies.
Not Evaluated (NE)
A taxon hasn’t been assessed by the IUCN and isn’t included in the Red List.
Data Deficient (DD)
Even though a taxon may be known and well-studied, the data on abundance or distribution isn’t sufficient to make a determination where it belongs on the Red List.
Least Concern (LC)
A Least Concern taxon has been evaluated by the IUCN and categorized as not requiring intervention by the international community to keep the population healthy.
Near Threatened (NT)
Near Threatened taxa are at risk of needing intervention in the future to keep populations healthy. Thousands of fungi, plant, and animal taxa are included in the NT Red List category.
Vulnerable (VU)
Vulnerable taxa are considered to be at “high risk” of extinction and require international measures to survive. It is the first of three “threatened” categories, along with Endangered and Critically Endangered. There are over 15,000 taxa in the VU Red List category.
Endangered (EN)
Endangered taxa are at “very high risk” of extinction in the wild. There are over 16,000 Endangered taxa.
Critically Endangered (CR)
Critically Endangered taxa are considered to be at “extremely high risk” of extinction in the wild. It is the most severe of the three “threatened” categories. There are almost 10,000 Critically Endangered taxa on the Red List.
Extinct in the Wild (EW)
Taxa that have been classified as Extinct in the Wild have no known populations outside of captivity, cultivation, or another population far from the historic natural environment. The IUCN takes surveys in the known or expected habitats at appropriate times, repeatedly, to determine whether there are any remaining individuals in the taxon. Surveys are taken over a span of time to account for life cycle. There are currency 84 taxa classified as Extinct in the Wild.
Extinct (EX)
Extinct means there are no known living organisms in the classified taxon. Repeated surveys must have failed to record any individuals. There are around 900 taxa classified as Extinct.
Are elephants endangered?
Unfortunately, all three elephant species are classified as either Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Originally, the two African elephant species were considered to be one species. In the early 2000s, scientists determined they were actually two distinct species. Classifying them separately allows appropriate conservation measures to be taken for each group, since they live in different habitats and face nuanced threats.
African Savanna (Bush) Elephant – Endangered
The IUCN assessment suggested 50% of the African savanna elephant population disappeared in the 75 years (or 3 generations) leading up to 2021.
African Forest Elephant – Critically Endangered
The IUCN estimates the majority of forest elephants now live in six central African countries and only occupy 25% of their original habitat.
Asian Elephant – Critically Endangered
The IUCN summarizes that the estimated population of Asian elephants, currently 40,000-50,000, is only a “crude guess, which has been accepted unchanged for a quarter of a century.” It is quite difficult to survey the population of Asian elephants because they typically live in dense vegetation in the wild.
What laws protect endangered elephants?
In 1963, the IUCN adopted a resolution that led to the drafting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora, most often called CITES. CITES regulates the international trade of over 38,000 species, based largely on the status of the species on the IUCN Red List.
CITES
CITES is a multi-lateral treaty, meaning a treaty among countries. Each country that signs the treaty must pass national legislation to implement it. Governments have the option of passing stricter legislation than what CITES requires.
CITES is divided into three “appendices.” Appendix I covers taxa that are considered threatened with extinction and afforded the highest levels of protection. Commercial trade in these species is prohibited and non-commercial trade is heavily regulated. Appendix II contains species that could be threatened if international trade is not controlled. Trading Appendix II species requires a CITES import or export permit. Appendix III applies to species that need protection in specific geographic areas. Individual countries may petition CITES to list a native species to help regulate the trade in that species. Similarly to Appendix II species, trade in Appendix III species requires a CITES import or export permit.
Elephants are listed in Appendix I, except for the African elephant populations of Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Savanna and forest elephants are considered part of one species under CITES.
Restriction on trade can apply to the whole animal, parts of the animal, or even products that contain parts of the animal. For elephants, this would be trophies, tusks, or items made of or containing ivory.
Endangered Species Act
The US implements CITES through the Endangered Species Act, which, as it applies to elephants, prohibits commerce involving listed species without permits. The African elephant and Asian elephant are listed as Threatened and Endangered, respectively. Though the US has a special rule for African elephants that strictly regulates trade in elephant products, there are still limited exceptions for products containing ivory. Given the current state of elephant populations, the African elephant should be listed as Endangered and all trade involving any part of an elephant should be strictly prohibited.
African and Asian Elephant Conservation Acts
The US has also established two funds for elephant conservation: the African Elephant Conservation Fund and Asian Elephant Conservation Fund. The funds award grant money to conservation projects all over the world, partnering with groups like the Wildlife Conservation Society, Aaranyak, and Zoological Society of London.
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