Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Batterie IV, B.P. 20379, Libreville, Gabon.
Nicholas School of the Environment, P.O. Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Curr Biol. 2017 Feb 20;27(4):R134-R135. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.023.
Elephant populations are in peril everywhere, but forest elephants in Central Africa have sustained alarming losses in the last decade [1]. Large, remote protected areas are thought to best safeguard forest elephants by supporting large populations buffered from habitat fragmentation, edge effects and human pressures. One such area, the Minkébé National Park (MNP), Gabon, was created chiefly for its reputation of harboring a large elephant population. MNP held the highest densities of elephants in Central Africa at the turn of the century, and was considered a critical sanctuary for forest elephants because of its relatively large size and isolation. We assessed population change in the park and its surroundings between 2004 and 2014. Using two independent modeling approaches, we estimated a 78-81% decline in elephant numbers over ten years - a loss of more than 25,000 elephants. While poaching occurs from within Gabon, cross-border poaching largely drove the precipitous drop in elephant numbers. With nearly 50% of forest elephants in Central Africa thought to reside in Gabon [1], their loss from the park is a considerable setback for the preservation of the species.
大象种群在世界各地都处于危险之中，但中非的森林象在过去十年中持续遭受惊人的损失[1]。大型的、偏远的保护区被认为是保护森林象的最佳方式，因为它们可以支持大量的大象种群，免受栖息地破碎化、边缘效应和人类压力的影响。加蓬的明克贝国家公园（MNP）就是这样一个地区，它主要因其拥有大量大象种群而闻名。在本世纪初，MNP 是中非地区大象密度最高的地区，由于其相对较大的面积和隔离性，被认为是森林象的重要保护区。我们评估了公园及其周边地区在 2004 年至 2014 年期间的人口变化情况。我们使用两种独立的建模方法，估计在十年内大象数量下降了 78-81%——损失了超过 25000 头大象。虽然偷猎活动发生在加蓬境内，但跨境偷猎在很大程度上导致了大象数量的急剧下降。在中非地区，近 50%的森林象被认为居住在加蓬[1]，它们在公园内的消失对该物种的保护是一个相当大的挫折。
