The African forest elephant is 1 of the 2 only surviving African elephants. The African forest elephant is native to humid forests in West Africa and the Congo Basin. It is the smallest of the three living elephant species, reaching a shoulder height of 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in). Both genders have straight, down pointing tusks which start growing when they are 1–3 years old. Unfortunately, they are also facing severe poaching pressure, with population numbers declining rapidly in recent years.