In 2023 our team in Gabon commenced the first forest elephant project to be carried out in Batéké Plateau National Park (BPNP) and its periphery. The project was made possible thanks to the support of the International Elephant Foundation (IEF), and we wish to express our appreciation to them for their initial support and continued collaboration, as the project has been extended because of several delays to planned activities due to various factors.
African forest elephant in Batéké Plateau National Park © Aurélie Willaume
Both IEF and our team are committed to completing all the aspects of this project and as we begin 2025 we would like to present a brief review of progress to date.
The Aim of the Project
Over the years our team have observed forest elephants, both group and solitary, on many occasions on a direct basis and through camera trap captures. However, this is the first project to focus specifically on the species. We aim to achieve a better understanding of the elephant population by an assessment of the demographic structure and sex ratio of the elephants in the area. In addition, genetic testing of faecal samples collected by our team will allow for data on the elephants to be included in Gabon’s national reference DNA database for comparison against ivory seizures, both national and international.
The knowledge gained will enable better planning for protecting this Critically Endangered species in the Park, and the regular patrols conducted as part of data collection are a deterrent to illegal activities.
The African Forest Elephant
When elephants are mentioned most people think of the African savannah elephant, but the forest elephant is a distinct species with several characteristics that distinguish it from its savannah cousins and which have evolved largely as a consequence of the forest habitat that it inhabits. These include straighter tusks; a smaller body size at 2.5-3 metres tall and 2-5 tons in weight compared to 3-4 metres and 4-7 tons; and smaller herd size at less than 10 individuals compared to 10-70. They also largely inhabit West and Central Africa compared to East and Southern Africa.
The species is classified as Critically Endangered and it has been estimated that more than 50% of the remaining wild population are in Gabonese forests, making it critical that Gabon populations are well monitored and protected.
Travelling by boat is an ideal way to capture images of forest elephants © Eric Willaume
The Location
Two main rivers flow through the Park, Mpassa and Lewou. These rivers provide forest elephants with essential access to fresh water throughout the year, as well as supporting a variety of fruiting trees, which provide an important food source. Another characteristic of the rivers is the existence of mineral salts extraction spots, or ‘salines’. Wild elephants get much of their essential minerals by eating mineral-rich soil or digging for salt licks located on their foraging routes. These provide essential electrolytes such as sodium, and other minerals like calcium and magnesium that are vital to their health. The salines are such attractive areas for the elephants that they are ideal locations for the camera traps our team have deployed to capture video images of the elephants in the Park and its immediate periphery.
Arial view of one of the saline beaches © The Aspinall Foundation Gabon
Progress to Date
The camera traps have provided us with thousands of images of forest elephants, and our team have also captured pictures during their patrols. These images provide the data we need for the demographic study.
Groups of elephants are often spotted at the salines © Eric Willaume
The monthly patrols, and the use of the camera traps at known elephant locations has provided anti-poaching support due to the regular presence of our team in multiple areas of the reserve. It has also enabled us to support the ANPN rangers (the Gabon Park rangers) with other duties, such as clearing fallen trees from rivers.
Another key element of the project has been collecting faecal samples for DNA analysis. Specialised specimen kits were used but collecting samples is challenging as the faeces must be no older than 24 hours and must not have been affected by rain to avoid degraded DNA. The team were also taking care to avoid collecting samples from the same elephant multiple times. This is not an easy task, but it is possible to identify young from adult elephants and, if there was a possibility of one elephant leaving multiple deposits, a sample was taken only from one. The results of the DNA analysis help in the identification of individuals which in turn helps to estimate the population, but most importantly the results are being entered into Gabon’s database adding to the genetic map that is being used in the fight against poaching.
Final Stage of the Project
With so much data from the camera traps there remains the significant task of analysis and the identification of individual elephants, where possible, to assess the demographic structure of the elephants in the area, e.g. age, sex, family groups etc. This is the main activity that remains to be completed.
African forest elephant © Eric Willaume
The analysis of the forest elephant population in the Batéké Plateau National Park and its periphery will provide important information that can be used to increase their protection. We hope it will also build on data from other projects in Gabon and Congo to increase our understanding of the behaviour and vulnerabilities of this Critically Endangered species. For example, it is difficult to monitor forest elephant movements due to the dense forest habitat. GPS collars, often used on savannah elephants, are unreliable due to problems obtaining signals through forest canopies. Even visual observation can prove difficult in such terrains as you can be as close as 2 metres to an elephant in the forest and be unaware of their presence. Projects such as ours can provide vital information on population movements. For example, do the Park elephants pass into the Republic of Congo as the border is close to the Park. The more information we have, the better the protection we can provide.