The African forest elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis, is a proboscid available in Zoo Tycoon (Xbox).
Description[]
The African forest elephant is the smallest of the three extant species of elephant, being behind both the Asian Elephant and the African Bush Elephant. Despite this low ranking, African forest elephants are still one of the largest extant land animals. Males can attain shoulder heights of up to 3m (9.8ft), with females reaching 2.4m (7.9ft). However, there is a population of pygmy African forest elephants (formerly Loxodonta pumilio) that on average reach only 2-1.6m (6.5-5.2ft) in height, this smaller size is due to unique environmental pressures.
As their name implies, African forest elephants are only found in the tropical rainforests of the Congo Rainforest and are invaluable dispersers of seeds for various plants in the Congo, up to 5km away from the parent plant. Plant seeds also benefit from nutrients found in African forest elephant feces and germinate faster as a result, making the relationship mutualistic. Adult African forest elephants have no predators due to their size, though calves may fall victim to leopards when unattended.
The African forest elephant is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN and are highly vulnerable to the impacts of poaching, deforestation and population fragmentation. It is estimated that less than 30,000 individuals exist in the wild as of 2013.
Zoo Tycoon (Xbox)[]
The African forest elephant is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon (Xbox) and is available in the base game at a Zoo Fame of 13. They prefer temperate forest exhibits and require 2 additional members of their species. Like all elephants, they can be mixed with all antelope, chimpanzees, giraffes, and rhinoceroses.
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