African Elephant Species Distribution and Movement Corridors in West Africa

The two species of African elephant, the African forest elephant and the African savannah elephant, can mate with each other and produce hybrid offspring but their dispersal is not known. This project genetically determines the presence of each species and hybrids through the 13 signatory countries of the West African MOU: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo. Through dung sample analysis the project identifies species location and estimates probable transboundary corridors and elephant usage so that this information can be distributed to range states to inform future conservation choices.

IEF #AF1041

Project Years: 2023

Project Partners: IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group