African elephant recognised as two separate species – both endangered

Red list' assessment of two separate African species exposes critically endangered' status of forest elephants, down 86% in 31 years

• Shades of grey: how to tell African elephant species apart

The first ever red list" assessment of the African elephant as two separate species - the forest elephant and savanna elephant - has found that both are threatened with extinction, according to an updated review of the world's most at-risk plants and animals.

Poaching and the silent killer" of human-driven habitat loss have caused sharp declines, with forest elephant numbers falling by 86% in the past 31 years and savanna elephants by about 60% in the past half-century.