African elephant  (Loxodonta africana)

Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II on the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS or Bonn Convention) (3). Listed in CITES Appendix I in 1989, but the populations of the following Range States have since been transferred back to Appendix II: Botswana (1997), Namibia (1997), South Africa (2000) and Zimbabwe (1997) (4). Preliminary genetic evidence suggests that there may be at least two species of African elephants, namely the savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). However, many conservationists believe there is as yet insufficient evidence to justify this distinction (5), and that premature allocation into more than one species may leave hybrids in an uncertain conservation status (1). For this reason, the IUCN Red List assessment is for the single species, encompassing both forest and savanna populations (1).