From 2004 to 2014, forest elephant numbers in Gabon’s Minkébé National Park plummeted by over 78%, losing more than 25,000 elephants. Despite its remoteness, MNP was heavily targeted by poachers—primarily cross-border operations from Cameroon, where proximity, road access, and ivory trafficking networks facilitated large-scale killing.
Gabon’s weak enforcement and lack of early investment in protection allowed poaching to go largely unchecked until 2011. Even after reforms, efforts were too late to reverse the damage. This crisis highlights the urgent need for stronger cross-border cooperation, coordinated law enforcement, and international recognition of forest elephants as “Critically Endangered” under CITES to prevent extinction.
