Panthera 382d ago

For the first time in years, the “Ghost Elephant” of Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal has been captured on video. New remote camera footage captured by Panthera and Senegal’s National Parks Directorate (DPN) shows Ousmane, named after a park ranger, pausing in front of the camera as he moves through the park at night. When last spotted in January 2020, Ousmane was considered one of only five to 10 elephants remaining in the park — a stark contrast to the hundreds that once roamed here and a reminder of the devastating impacts of poaching and habitat loss. Photos and DNA analysis suggest he might now be the last. Still, there is hope for this solitary creature. This sighting has sparked discussions on what can be done to protect the elephant and the technical feasibility of translocating a group of female and male elephants to restore a breeding population in Niokolo-Koba National Park. The park is of outstanding global importance for the conservation of threatened, iconic wildlife. It’s home to one of only two remaining populations of Critically Endangered West African lions and the largest remaining population of leopards in West Africa. Panthera began conservation work in Niokolo-Koba in 2011, when DPN invited us to conduct the park’s first-ever lion survey. Only 10-15 individuals remained in the park at the time. Today, their population has more than doubled. We now work to support ranger teams and monitor lions in the park, among other conservation projects. Protection efforts here benefit not only lions but a whole suite of threatened species, helping us realize Panthera’s vision of restoring lions and other wildlife to this precious landscape. Video ©Panthera and Senegal’s National Parks Directorate (DPN)