An elephant survey of Minkebe National Park and the 5 km buffer zone outside the Park, was carried out between October 2012 and March 2013 using the dung count method. The dung count was a pilot survey with 14 transects each with a length of 3 km representing the surveyed area covering more than 11,500 km2. Elephant population was estimated at population was 6,875 elephants (95% c.l. 3,677-12,852; CV 28%). Comparing the same areas surveyed in 2004 and 2012 suggested that between 63-82% of the elephants had been killed: in other words, between 16,610 to 19,902 elephants had been lost between 2004-2013, or about 2,100 elephants per year.
The survey should be classified as DC as the method was line transects.
Source:Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (2013). Wildlife and poaching assessment in Northeast Gabon. Results of the pilot study. Gabon: Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux.
