Status of Digya National Park’s Elephant Population and Associated Corridor, Ghana

Forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Digya National Park (DNP), Ghana, represent one of the most important and understudied populations in West Africa. Holding over a third of Ghana’s elephants and a quarter of the national range, DNP remains unassessed for nearly two decades. The update will provide long‑needed information on the population’s size, distribution, and species identity, enabling more strategic conservation management in Ghana and supplying essential data to regional efforts. The comprehensive assessment is conducted in cooperation with the Ghana Wildlife Division and will focus on estimating population size and distribution using innovative camera trap distance sampling, confirming species identity through genetic analysis of dung samples, and evaluating the feasibility of restoring the Chichibon corridor via community-based citizen science interviews. This work addresses knowledge gaps in a Critically Endangered species' fragmented West African range, while building local capacity, informing national and regional conservation strategies, and disseminating findings to stakeholders across the Guinean Forest Block.

IEF #AF1060

Project Years: 2026

Project Partners:
Kathleen Gobush, IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group, University of Washington