Across the African continent, elephant populations have largely declined over the past several decades, but some areas show hopeful signs of recovery, according to a new study. Researchers have monitored the numbers of forest and savanna elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis, L. africana) in different parts of Africa since the 1960s. However, few stud ies have compiled all the survey data collected over decades, across the continent, George Wittemyer, study co-author and conservation biologist at Colorado State University, U.S., told Mongabay by email. To fill this gap, Wittemyer and his colleagues collated and analyzed elephant population data from more than 1,300 surveys conducted between 1964 and 2016, covering 475 sites in 37 countries. They found that while forest elephant densities declined by 90% on average during the 53-year-period, those of savanna elephants reduced by 70% on average. In some pockets of Africa, though, elephant densities showed a positive trend. For instance, in southern Africa, at 42% of the surveyed sites, elephant density increased slightly over the decades, while 10% of the surveyed places in eastern Africa showed a rise, and those in the north showed the least improvement. Majority of the increases were in savanna elephant populations, while forest elephants largely suffered declines during the 53-year period, the study found. However, the latter showed a slight increase in few sites like Pendjari National Park in Benin, which the authors write, "is a rare example of an increasing forest elephant trend".