Elephant Database
African Elephant Specialist Group

Burkina Faso
Provisional African Elephant Population Estimates: update to 31 Dec 2013

All Years for Burkina Faso: 201620132007200219981995

Summary Totals for Burkina Faso

Estimates from SurveysGuesses% Known and
Possible Range
Area (km2)
Survey categoryEstimate± 95% CLFromTo
Aerial Total Counts498.01,210
Ground Sample Counts6,0562,08440.26,073
Informed Guesses548505.8877
Degraded Data1,4861,48633.75,087
Totals 20156,1102,0831,5341,536  
Totals 20065,107320200200  
Assessed Range87.713,247
Unassessed Range12.31,863
Total Range10015,110

Summary Totals for Burkina Faso

Data Category Definite Probable Possible Speculative
Aerial or Ground Total Counts49000
Direct Sample Counts and Reliable Dung Counts3,9722,0842,0840
Informed Guesses50482
Other Guesses177001,309
Totals 20134,2032,0842,1321,311
Totals 20064,7873205200

Interpretation of Changes in Estimates from Previous Report

 Estimates from SurveysGuessesArea
Cause of Change Estimate ± 95% CL From To% Known and PossibleTotal
Different Technique+3,658±2,0840040.26,073
New Guess-536±320-152-1505.8877
Data Degraded-2,1190+1,486+1,48633.75,087
Totals+1,003±2,108+1,334+1,33679.712,037

Interpretation of Changes in Estimates from Previous Report

Cause of Change Definite Probable Possible Speculative
Different Technique-622+4,280+4,2800
New Guess-216-320-472+2
Data Degraded-1,94200+1,309
Totals-2,780+3,960+3,808+1,311

Interpretation of Changes in Estimates from Previous Report (2007 scaling)

Cause of Change Definite Probable Possible Speculative
Different Technique-131+1,907+1,8120
New Guess-45-143-200+2
Data Degraded-40800+1,309
Totals-584+1,764+1,612+1,311

Area of Range Covered by Each Data Category (km²)

Data CategoryKnown RangePossible RangeTotal Range
Aerial or Ground Total Counts1,21001,210
Direct Sample Counts and Reliable Dung Counts6,07306,073
Informed Guesses8770877
Other Guesses5,08705,087
Unassessed Range1,86031,863
Totals15,107315,110

Burkina Faso: Elephant Estimates

Cause ofSurvey Details2 Number of Elephants Area Map Location
Input ZoneChange1TypeReliab.YearEstimate95% C.L. SourcePFS3 (km²) Lon. Lat.
+ Arly National Park DTGSB2013891 594Bouché et al., 2013b11,223 1.3E 11.6N
DTGSB2013891 594Bouché et al., 2013b1,223 1.3E 11.6N
+ Bontioli Partial & Total Faunal ReserveNGOD200718 2*Bouché, 20072420 3.1W 10.8N
NGOD200718 2*Bouché, 2007420 3.1W 10.8N
+ Comoé-Leraba Classified Forests-ATA20053Bouché, 200511,204 4.6W 9.9N
-ATA20053Bouché, 20051,204 4.6W 9.9N
+ Koakrana Hunting ZoneDDATE20030Bouché et al., 2004b2229 1.8E 11.5N
DDATE20030Bouché et al., 2004b229 1.8E 11.5N
+ Konkombouri and Pama Hunting ZoneDTGSB20132,111929Bouché et al., 2013b11,762 1.3E 11.6N
DTGSB20131,251 785Bouché et al., 2013b661 1.3E 11.6N
DTGSB2013460 316Bouché et al., 2013b525 1.3E 11.6N
DTGSB2013400 384Bouché et al., 2013b576 1.3E 11.6N
+ Kourtiagou Partial Faunal ReserveDDATE20030Bouché et al., 2004b2485 2.0E 11.5N
DDATE20030Bouché et al., 2004b485 2.0E 11.5N
+ Mare aux Hippotames Biosphere Reserve-ATA200546Bouché, 20052192 4.2W 11.6N
-ATA200546Bouché, 2005192 4.2W 11.6N
+ Mouhoun Protected Area ComplexNGOD201335Bouché et al., 2013b11,976 3.3W 11.6N
NGOD201335Bouché et al., 2013b1,976 3.3W 11.6N
+ Nazinga EcosystemDTGSB2012893 507Bouché, 2012b1970 1.5W 11.1N
DTGSB2012893 507Bouché, 2012b970 1.5W 11.1N
+ Rest of Aires de l'Est Hunting AreasDDATE20031,486Bouché et al., 200414,104 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE20030Bouché et al., 200497 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE2003218Bouché et al., 2004654 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE20037Bouché et al., 20047 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE2003169Bouché et al., 2004404 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE2003337Bouché et al., 20041,815 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE20030Bouché et al., 2004201 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE200395Bouché et al., 2004661 1.0E 11.5N
DDATE2003660Bouché et al., 2004265 1.0E 11.5N
+ W du Burkina National ParkDTGSB20132,161 1,694Bouché et al., 2013b12,264 1.3E 11.6N
DTGSB20132,161 1,694Bouché et al., 2013b2,264 1.3E 11.6N
+ Zabré DepartmentNGOD20130Bouché, pers. comm., 20152600 0.6W 11.1N
NGOD20130Bouché, pers. comm., 2015600 0.6W 11.1N

* Range of informed guess

1Key to Causes of Change (only tracked since 2007): DA: Different Area; DD: Data Degraded; DT: Different Technique; NA: New Analysis; NG: New Guess; NP: New population; PL: Population Lost; RS: Repeat Survey (RS ́ denotes a repeat survey that is not statistically comparable for reasons such as different season); –––: No Change

2Key to Survey Types: AC: Aerial Count, not specified; AS: Aerial Sample Count; AT: Aerial Total Count; DC: Dung Count; EX: Extrapolation from GIS; GD: Genetic Dung Count; GS: Ground Sample Count; GT: Ground Total Count; IG: Informed Guess; IR: Individual Registration; OG: Other Guess. Survey Type is followed by an indicator of survey quality, ranked from 1 to 3 (best to worst). Survey Reliability is keyed A-E (best to worst) as outlined in this table.

3PFS: Priority for Future Surveys, ranked from 1 to 5 (highest to lowest). Based on the precision of estimates and the proportion of national range accounted for by the site in question, PFS is a measure of the importance and urgency for future population surveys. All areas of unassessed range have a priority of 1. See Introduction for details on how the PFS is derived.

Note that totals for the Definite, Probable, and Possible categories are derived by pooling the variances of individual estimates, as described at http://www.africanelephantdatabase.org/reliability. As a result, totals do not necessarily match the simple sum of the entries within a given category.

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