Asian Elephant

"Asia's Majestic Elephant Species"

Among the most noble, elegant and enormous of all wild animals, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) exudes the essence of the wilderness.

From the plains of the Serengeti to the jungles of Southeast Asia, elephants conjure up our fascination with exotic animals.

A far ranging giant animal of ancient lore and cultural tradition, it is still found wild in the rainforest and remains an endangered species facing many threats.

In Asia, there is only one elephant species and four sub-species. (Africa has two species.):

• Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) - The most numerous sub-species with between 20,000 to 25,000 individuals, this jungle and grassland mammal spreads from India, across Indochina and south to Peninsular Malaysia.
• Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) - Limited to Sumatra, where elephant habitat has shrunk drastically due to plantations and settlements, less than three thousand animals remain with poaching and poisoning problems contributing to the sub-species decline.
• Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maxumus) - The largest of the sub-species, possibly 3000 individuals survive from over 10,000 elephants a century ago. Living in dry forests and subject to poaching, killing for crop protection, drought deaths and starvation.
• Borneo pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) - Discovered recently by DNA comparisons, this smaller forest elephant is either a separate wild population found only in Borneo or a descendent of other species that were translocated to the island centuries ago. Only a one to two thousand of these endangered animals remain.

Elephant Towing Teak Logs in Myanmar (Burma)
Buy at AllPosters.com

Asian Elephant: Cultural Icons

Adored as a good luck symbol and painted, dressed and paraded for ceremonial events, the Asian elephants connection with Thai, Indian and other cultures remains strong.
Festival Bound -- Buy at AllPosters.com

A legendary animal of ancient battles and war, the lore on Asia's beloved elephant is reflected in art, architecture, stories, statues, religion, medicines and much more.

Revered in Thailand among Buddhists due to the special dream of the white elephant by Budda's mother prior to his birth.

Elephants carry kings to coronations in Nepal, take part in races in the highlands of Vietnam and parade in fanciful robes in festivals in India and Sri Lanka.

From earlier use for hunting tigers and rhinos in the past, today these beasts of burden carry tourists for close-up observations of jungle animals and help harvest timber by pulling logs from in the forests.

What other large mammal has such a docile relationship with humans, while remaining one of the wildest animals in the jungle?

Asian Elephant: Conservation and Survival

Unfortunately, maybe humans and elephant species are not that compatible after all. Forest habitat loss, poaching of tusks, bones and meat, and poisoning to thwart crop destruction all contribute to the decline of elephants.

Deaths also arise when animals from wild herds, targeted to work in the timber industry, succumb to the stress of capture. Training new animals from wild stock is favored over breeding domesticated elephants.
Asian Elephant -- Buy at AllPosters.com

Killing large male tuskers prevent these mature elephants to provide valuable genes to the next generation.

And the separation of large forests disrupts traditional migration routes between feeding grounds and allows settlements to encroach closer.

Nothing can stop a herd of elephants from invading crops, except when villagers resort to shooting or tainting the food of these giant rainforest mammals. Conflicts between humans and wild elephants is a real problem without any easy answers.

Conservation efforts try to tackle competing human and elephant populations. First, tropical forests must remain intact to allow wild animals to find food without raiding crops and marauding villages.

Elephants require lots of land. National parks and wildlife reserves are not always sufficient, so corridors passing through plantations, wetlands and other habitats provide links between protected areas.

Rogue elephants cause economic damage and death to villagers living nearby remote forests. Governments heed the call to protect both humans and wild animals by translocating problem pachyderms to reserves far away from settlements.

Anti-poaching patrols try to protect tuskers and vulnerable wild populations by communicating with local villagers and monitoring illegal wildlife trade networks.

Observing wild elephants in the jungles of Asia is a fascinating experience. But most sightings will be as a tourist aboard a tamed elephant to travel across the grasslands and forests in search of wildlife.

Whether wild or tamed, these magnificent mammals offer every visitor a chance to engage with one of the planet's most celebrated species.

[For more information on biology and behavior go to elephant facts or find out how you can help stop the ivory trade.]

Tourists on Elephant Safari, Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Buy at AllPosters.com