Africa’s Monitored Wildlife Decline Reaches 80% Since 1970

New report shows sharp drop in tracked animal populations across Africa, with forest elephants falling 60%.

Africa’s monitored wildlife populations declined by an average of 80% between 1970 and 2022, according to the Living Planet Report 2026 (released October 8, 2026). This trend applies specifically to tracked populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians across the continent. The report notes that African forest elephant populations have dropped by more than 60% over recent decades. The Living Planet Index, which draws on 35,803 population trends from 5,790 vertebrate species globally, measures average population size changes—not absolute species loss or extinction rates. Habitat destruction and degradation are the most frequently reported pressures driving these declines. The findings align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s 2030 targets. Crucially, the 80% figure reflects monitored populations only, not total wildlife or species loss in Africa. Global average decline since 1970 was 73%, with Latin America and the Caribbean experiencing the steepest regional drop at 95%. This friction in ecosystem health could impact services like pollination and water regulation, but the report does not specify direct effects on food or water security. What matters next: Tracking how habitat destruction pressures evolve and whether conservation efforts reverse these trends by 2030.

Source: Mongabay