Studying Forest Elephants

Elephants have fascinated humans for millennia. Forest elephants engineer and alter vast tracts of habitat in the forest of Central Africa. Like elephants elsewhere, they are severely threatened and are disappearing before we can understand what we are losing. This e-book compiles expertise from biologists and wildlife managers who have dedicated their lives to protecting wildlife and wild places, especially elephants.


It is intended as a guide for conservation practitioners, managers and students working in forest elephant habitats. In it, we pool our knowledge about the best ways to count elephants, study their behaviour, take genetic samples and communicate research results. We also discuss ways to protect elephants, monitor how they are faring, and the basics of setting up a camp and finding funding to support a study. We hope it helps and inspires those charged with protecting forest elephants across Africa.