The forest elephant is a smaller type of elephant whose habitat includes Gabon, Congo and Central Africa. Until recently, they had never been seen in South Sudan, but researchers this year have discovered them in Western Equatoria for the first time.

A joint team of scientests from Bucknell University, South Sudan's Wildlife Service, and the organization Fauna and Flora International set up dozens of cameras in forests in Western Equatoria over the last six months.

These hidden cameras automatically took thousands of photos including of dozens of types of animals including chimpanzee, leopard, forest buffalo, mongoose, hyena, and bongo, which is a type of antelope. The cameras also captured photos of forest elephants.

Sadly, elephants are still being killed all over Africa. For example, at least 26 elephants were killed in the Dzanga Bai wildlife park in Central Africa in May 2013. According to the World Wildlife Fund, poachers opened fired on the elephants from an observation post used by scientists and tourists.

About 17 Sudanese poachers who claimed to be members of the Seleka government that ruled Central Africa at the time were allegedly responsible for the massacre. WWF says the population of forest elephants has dropped by more than 60% over the past ten years.

In our weekly 'South Sudan This Week' podcast, Radio Tamazuj speaks with local law enforcement officials about efforts to protect the elephants, laws that criminalize poaching and explains some of the social habits of forest elephants.

(Photo: Forest elephant family group in a rainforest clearing. Credit: Richard Ruggiero/USFWS)

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