North African Bush Elephant

The North African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaoensis) was a subspecies of the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa north of the Sahara until becoming extinct in Roman times. These were the famous war elephants used by Carthage in the Punic Wars, their conflict with the Roman Republic. Despite the subspecies being formally described, it has not been widely recognized by taxonomists. Other names for this animal include the North African forest elephant, Carthaginian elephant, and Atlas elephant. Originally, its natural range probably extended across North Africa and down to the present Sudanese and Eritrean coasts.