Analysis of human-driven extinction of elephants in Nyungwe national park, Rwanda

Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda, once home to elephants, saw their extinction by 1999 due to human-driven threats. A study analyzing the period from 1965 to 1999 identified poaching for ivory (75%), bushmeat (20.6%), traditional medicine (2.7%), and decoration (0.8%) as primary causes, alongside gold mining and logging. These activities, fueled by poverty and human-elephant conflicts, degraded habitats in key areas like Kamiranzovu, Gasare, and Bigugu, leading to the species' disappearance. The research underscores the urgent need for reinforced conservation efforts to protect threatened species and advocates for elephant reintroduction, contingent on habitat quality assessments, to sustain biodiversity and boost tourism.

Niyonsaba Daniel, & Ndokoye Pancras. (2023). Analysis of human-driven extinction of elephants in Nyungwe national park, Rwanda. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.7957408