*Translated from the French by an automated online translation service, so please excuse the roughness. See link for original. * A new device to save African elephants from poaching (Gabon) Gabon Actu May 11, 2021 See link <https://gabonactu.com/un-nouveau-dispositif-pour-sauver-les-elephants-dafrique-du-braconnage/> for photo. A new method for counting African forest elephant populations with a view to informing strategies and actions for their preservation has recently been developed. The latter, carried out in Gabon by a team of scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and in close collaboration with experts from the National Parks Agency (ANPN), aims to highlight the decline in the number of elephants. African forest (Loxodonta cyclotis) which have recently been classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This method is mainly based on spatial capture-recapture (CRS) techniques. It uses both camera traps and DNA analysis of feces. Therefore, it allows researchers to better understand how many forest elephants are left and where they are. The detection of African forest elephants by DNA was made possible thanks to the recent development of innovative genetic techniques developed by the National Agency for National Parks (ANPN) and the creation of a new laboratory thus making it possible to carry out all the DNA analyzes in Gabon. This study, the results of which will be published at the end of the year, is part of a larger initiative led by Gabon in partnership with Vulcan Inc. and which aims to establish the first national census of elephant populations in 30 years. It will improve the protection of elephants. Home to over 50% of the world's remaining elephant population, the Gabonese forest is a vital resource for both elephant conservation, emission reduction and carbon uptake. For Minister Lee White, “As long as the ivory trade is profitable, elephants will be in danger. In Africa, there is a clear link between the environment, peace and security. Thanks to the results of this study, we hope to obtain more precise data on elephant populations and poaching across Gabon”. https://gabonactu.com/un-nouveau-dispositif-pour-sauver-les-elephants-dafrique-du-braconnage/