Photo by jasperdoest | Deep within the evergreen forest of Gabon’s Lopé National Park, a forest elephant looks at me through the foliage. I'm close—closer than I ever expected to be. I can feel my heart pounding in my throat, a mix of healthy nerves and excitement as I'm being accepted by this large herbivore inside the forest it calls home. The Central African country of Gabon is home to the most forest elephants, about 95,000, two-thirds of the entire population. While poaching for ivory and habitat loss have reduced their overall numbers by 86 percent in the past 31 years, the forest and its megafauna are both well protected in Gabon. However, recent research outcomes indicate that climate change has put them at risk. Follow me jasperdoest for more on the relationship between humankind and nature. #gabon #forest #forestelephant #elephant