Elephant shrews (sengis) are small insectivores found only in Africa, with several species threatened by habitat loss — including the giant sengi rediscovered in 2020 after 50 years without documented sightings.
Sengis face welfare threats primarily through habitat destruction that eliminates the complex trail systems they depend on for predator escape. Deforestation that removes understory vegetation makes sengis extremely vulnerable to predation because their escape strategy relies on knowing precise routes through dense cover. Capture for traditional medicine causes acute welfare harm in these highly stressed prey animals. The rediscovery of the giant sengi is a reminder that even species assumed locally extinct may survive in refugia — conservation efforts that protect remaining habitat give such species a chance to persist and potentially recover. Small mammals like sengis often receive less conservation attention than charismatic megafauna, yet their ecological roles and welfare needs are equally real.