The
North African Elephant, also known as the
North African Forest Elephant, the
Carthaginian Elephant, or the
Atlas Elephant, was a species of
elephant that once roamed the wooded slopes of the
Atlas Mountains in
North Africa in large numbers, but is now extinct. This was the species that was used as
war elephants by the
Carthaginians and which
Hannibal famously tried to take over the
Alps.
Ancient wall paintings and coins show that the North African elephant was much smaller than other species, probably only about 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall at the shoulder, compared to 3.5 meters (11 feet) for a modern African elephant. It also had a flat or humped back.
In addition to its famous use in war by the Carthaginians, the North African Elephant was also the species domesticated in earlier times by the Egyptian pharaohs, and may have even helped build the pyramids. The North African Elephant survived until the early centuries of the Common Era before it was hunted to extinction for use in Roman gladitorial games.