A forest elephant is about two-thirds the size of a savannah elephant. Their ears are rounder, and their tusks point straight down instead of curving outward. Scientists used to think there was only one kind of African elephant. They now know there are two, which split apart millions of years ago.
Because they live in the forest where the trees are thick, forest elephants walk in single file along narrow paths called 'elephant trails'. These trails are used for hundreds of years - children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren of elephants all use the same paths through the forest.
Like all elephants, they live in families led by the oldest grandma, called the matriarch. She knows where to find the fruit trees, where the safe water is, and which other families are friendly. Forest elephants love fruit and can spread the seeds of more than 70 different trees just by eating, walking, and going to the toilet later.
Forest elephants 'talk' to each other in very deep rumbles - so deep that humans cannot hear them with our ears. The rumbles travel through the ground and the air for several kilometres, helping a family stay together when they cannot see each other through the thick leaves.

