History: Unfortunately, both species of African elephant (the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant) are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. More specifically, they are suffering from a fragmentation and loss of their natural habitat and are one of the most commonly poached animals worldwide. It’s believed that the African elephant population has dropped by more than 100,000 individuals in the last decade, which would be one of the sharpest wildlife population declines in recent memory.