Elephant Crisis Fund Commits Record $1.2 Million to Protect Angola’s Remaining Forest Elephants
Quick Answer: The Elephant Crisis Fund has approved a record US$1.2 million grant over three years for Project Nzau, a conservation program protecting Angola’s remaining forest elephants. The project will expand elephant monitoring, GPS tracking, genetic research, community coexistence programs and conservation awareness across areas where the species may still survive.
Introduction
One of Africa’s least-known elephant populations is receiving a major conservation boost after the Elephant Crisis Fund approved its largest single grant in 13 years.
The fund has committed US$1.2 million over three years to Project Nzau, an initiative led by Angola’s Kissama Foundation in partnership with BIOPOLIS to strengthen research and conservation efforts for the country’s remaining forest elephants.
Conservation groups estimate that fewer than 200 forest elephants may remain in Angola. These animals live in forested areas east and northeast of Luanda and, according to project sources, occur entirely outside formally protected areas.
The new funding will support a combination of scientific monitoring, elephant tracking, genetic research, community-based conservation and efforts to reduce conflict between elephants and farmers.
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| Leonardo DiCaprio has long been connected to elephant conservation through the Elephant Crisis Fund, which has committed a record $1.2 million over three years to support efforts to protect Angola’s remaining forest elephants. (Cover image: AI-generated wildlife illustration created for editorial and educational purposes.) |
Angola’s Forest Elephants Are Critically Endangered
The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is a distinct species from the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana). The African forest elephant is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
The species has experienced severe declines over recent decades, with poaching and habitat loss identified among its major threats.
Forest elephants are also ecologically important. They move through forests while feeding on vegetation and can contribute to seed dispersal, helping shape the ecosystems in which they live.
Fewer Than 200 May Remain in Angola
Project Nzau focuses on one of the smallest and most isolated populations of African forest elephants.
The Elephant Crisis Fund and CIBIO estimate that no more than 200 forest elephants remain in Angola. They are found in forested escarpments east and northeast of Luanda, where conservationists are still working to understand the full distribution of the population.
The elephants face several overlapping threats, including habitat loss, poaching, road accidents and conflict with farmers.
Their situation is made more difficult because they live outside established protected areas. That means conservation efforts have to operate across landscapes where wildlife and human communities share the same space.
What Is Project Nzau?
Project Nzau is a long-running conservation initiative led by the Kissama Foundation, an Angolan conservation organization, with support from BIOPOLIS, a research institution based in Portugal.
The Elephant Crisis Fund has supported the project since 2019. Earlier work focused on establishing a better understanding of the elephants and documenting their presence, movements and threats.
The new funding will allow the project to expand substantially.
How the $1.2 Million Will Help
GPS Tracking of Elephants
One of the project's major activities will be the use of GPS collars to monitor elephant movements.
Tracking data can help researchers determine where elephants travel, identify important habitat and locate areas where encounters between elephants and people are most likely to occur.
This information can then be used to help design more effective coexistence measures.
Genetic Research
The project also plans to use genetic analysis to establish a stronger population baseline.
Forest elephants are difficult to survey because they can move through dense forest and remote landscapes. Genetic information can help researchers identify individuals and improve understanding of population size and structure.
For a population as small as Angola’s, better information can make a major difference in conservation planning.
Reducing Human-Elephant Conflict
Another important part of Project Nzau is reducing conflict between elephants and farming communities.
When elephants enter agricultural areas and damage crops, farmers can experience significant losses. In some situations, these encounters can lead to retaliation against elephants.
The new project will establish a human-elephant coexistence program designed to help communities deter elephants from crop-raiding while reducing the likelihood of dangerous encounters.
Expanding the Elephant Guardian Network
The project will also expand its elephant guardian initiative.
Local guardians can monitor elephant activity, document movement and crop damage, and help conservation teams understand what is happening on the ground.
Community-based monitoring is particularly important in areas where elephants move outside formal protected areas.
National Conservation Awareness
The project will also conduct awareness campaigns aimed at improving public understanding of Angola’s forest elephants.
The Elephant Crisis Fund says some people living alongside the elephants are not aware that killing elephants is illegal. Conservation education is therefore intended to address both knowledge gaps and attitudes toward the species.
The Project Will Expand Across Eight Provinces
Project Nzau previously operated in three Angolan provinces. The new funding will allow the team to expand its work to all eight provinces where forest elephants may still survive.
The project will work with provincial authorities and Angola’s National Institute for Biodiversity and Conservation Areas, known as INBAC.
Expanding the survey area could help researchers determine whether additional forest elephants remain in remote areas that have not yet been adequately studied.
Why Human-Elephant Coexistence Matters
Protecting a small elephant population requires more than tracking individual animals.
Forest elephants may cross farmland, roads and other areas used by people. When their movements bring them into conflict with communities, the consequences can affect both sides.
Project Nzau therefore combines wildlife research with practical coexistence measures.
The project plans to support a new human-elephant coexistence field centre, expand elephant guardians and help communities develop ways to reduce crop-raiding and other sources of conflict.
The approach recognizes that long-term elephant conservation depends partly on whether people living near the animals can coexist with them safely.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Connection to the Conservation Fund
The announcement has also attracted attention because of the Elephant Crisis Fund’s connection to Leonardo DiCaprio.
That connection is real, but it needs to be described accurately.
The Elephant Crisis Fund was established by Save the Elephants and the Wildlife Conservation Network in partnership with the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, now known as Re:wild. The foundation helped support the creation of the fund in 2013.
However, the current US$1.2 million grant was approved by the Elephant Crisis Fund. It should not be described as a personal US$1.2 million donation from Leonardo DiCaprio.
Why the Grant Is Significant
The size of the grant is significant because Angola’s forest-elephant population is extremely small and relatively poorly documented.
The project needs to answer basic conservation questions: Where exactly are the elephants? How many remain? How are they moving between forest areas? Where are conflicts with people occurring? And which areas are most important for their survival?
GPS tracking, genetic analysis and field monitoring can help provide answers to those questions.
At the same time, community programs can address one of the most immediate challenges facing elephants that live outside protected areas: how to reduce conflict with people.
The Global Forest Elephant Picture
Angola’s fewer-than-200 estimate should not be confused with the total number of African forest elephants remaining across Africa.
A 2025 IUCN assessment estimated approximately 135,690 African forest elephants in surveyed areas, with additional animals in areas that were not systematically surveyed.
However, IUCN emphasized that the updated number should not be interpreted as population growth. Improved survey coverage and DNA-based methods allowed researchers to detect elephants more accurately than in earlier assessments.
The species nevertheless remains Critically Endangered, and major threats including poaching and habitat destruction continue to affect populations across its range.
What Happens Next?
The new three-year funding phase gives Project Nzau additional resources to expand its work throughout Angola.
Researchers and conservationists will conduct surveys, track elephants, study their genetics, monitor human-elephant conflict and strengthen community engagement.
The project will also investigate areas where forest elephants may still survive but where information remains limited.
For Angola’s remaining forest elephants, the immediate objective is not simply to increase their numbers overnight. It is to understand the population better, reduce the threats it faces and create conditions in which the animals can persist and potentially recover over the long term.
Conclusion
Angola's forest elephants represent one of Africa's most isolated and vulnerable elephant populations. With fewer than 200 believed to remain in the country, even relatively small losses can have serious consequences for the population.
The Elephant Crisis Fund's US$1.2 million commitment gives Project Nzau three years of additional resources for research, monitoring, community coexistence and conservation awareness.
Whether the effort ultimately leads to population recovery will depend on how effectively threats are reduced and whether elephants and communities can safely share the landscapes where the species survives.
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Sources and Further Reading
Wildlife Conservation Network / Elephant Crisis Fund — A Lifeline for Angola’s Forest Elephants
CIBIO — Angola-Portugal partnership strengthens protection of the country’s last forest elephants
Wildlife Conservation Network — Holding the Line for Angola’s Elephants
Wildlife Conservation Network — Support for a Unique Forest Elephant Population in North-West Angola
Wikimedia Commons — Loxodonta cyclotis 3970039
Wikimedia Commons — Loxodonta cyclotis 3970034
Status: FACT-CHECKED
The US$1.2 million figure, three-year duration, Project Nzau activities and planned expansion across eight provinces were checked against 2026 announcements from the Wildlife Conservation Network/Elephant Crisis Fund and CIBIO.
The estimate of fewer than 200 forest elephants refers specifically to Angola. It is not the global population of African forest elephants. The species' Critically Endangered status was checked against IUCN material.
The article also distinguishes the Elephant Crisis Fund's grant from Leonardo DiCaprio personally. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, now known as Re:wild, was an early partner in establishing the Elephant Crisis Fund, but the current US$1.2 million commitment is attributed to the Elephant Crisis Fund.
The two supporting photographs in this article are representative images of African forest elephants photographed in the Republic of Congo. They are clearly identified as such and are not presented as photographs taken in Angola.
The Pader presents wildlife and science information using credible sources and accessible language. Scientific information may be updated as new research emerges.
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