African forest elephants are critically endangered ecosystem engineers whose welfare is inseparable from the health of Central African rainforests they create and maintain.
Forest elephants killed for ivory die violently, often abandoned in agony when poachers are disturbed. Survivors of partial poaching attempts may have injured trunks or wounds that impair feeding and social function. Social disruption from poaching removes experienced matriarchs whose knowledge is essential for family group survival. Individual and population welfare are deeply intertwined - protecting forest elephant welfare requires protecting both individual animals from poaching and the forest ecosystem that sustains them.