Democratic Republic of the Congo | Politics, Economy & Culture

Protecting wildlife and Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Herds of African Forest Elephants 🐘 once roamed the vast savannas and dense tropical rainforests of the Congo Basin, but hunting and habitat devastation erased nearly 86% of populations between 1922 and 2015. Elephants are “ecosystem engineers” — meaning their activities help to create and maintain habitats beneficial to other species. Elephants push over trees as they search for food, creating mosaics of open areas and woodlands. They help to remove sediment from water holes as they wallow, an