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1. Diet

The herbivorous diet of an Asian elephant consists mainly of tree bark, roots, leaves, stems,聽 and grass. They spend approximately聽two thirds of their day feeding,聽with adults consuming聽as much as聽. Valiant individuals often wander into fields of cultivated crops, showing a preference for聽bananas, rice and sugarcane plants.

2. Elephant Trunks

One of the most defining characteristics of this elephant species is their incredible trunk, which contains聽 approximately聽. It is utilised for breathing, drinking, showering, and even as a snorkel when crossing deep rivers. The Asian elephant trunk features 补听small, finger-like appendix at its tip聽to assist with holding onto small objects, whereas its cousin, the African elephant trunk has two.

3. Social Behaviour聽

As aforementioned, elephants have a high intellectual capacity which enables them to adopt聽 learned behaviours. With 补听neocortex on a similar evolutionary stage as humans, apes and聽dolphins,聽elephants demonstrated a range of behaviours, such as tool-use and displaying emotions including grief and compassion, which are typically associated with intelligence. In fact, the聽temporal lobe of elephants is actually聽,聽indicating a higher capacity for memory retention. Coupled with their聽extensive social ties,聽these spectacular animals are able to develop and socially teach novel foraging techniques, warning signals, and other behaviours which aid in their survival.

Another survival technique which elephants have evolved is their abnormally long gestation聽 period and birth interval. The gestation period of the Asian elephant, which lasts approximately 18 to 22 months, is one of the lengthiest amid the animal kingdom. It allows聽 for the calf to聽to stand up a mere聽20 minutes after birth, walk within an hour, and keep up with the herd after just two days聽of life. Along with a four year birth interval, this evolutionary adaptation allows for the herd聽 to continue their migratory route in search for food and water without the burden of a dependent infant.

4. Critical Species聽

Apart from being gentle, sentient giants, Asian elephants provide numerous services to their surrounding ecosystem.

Firstly, they聽assist with maintaining the integrity of their habitats. The sheer size of an Asian elephant鈥檚 body, which can reach 补听,聽facilitates the creation of pathways through dense thickets and forests. These routes ease the travel or migration of numerous species throughout the forest, in addition to controlling聽 the overgrowth of vegetation.

Furthermore, the monumental feeding needs of a single Asian elephant can produce as much as聽100 kilograms of dung daily,聽spread across an area of 325 square kilometres. This allows for the聽mass dissemination of germinating seeds,聽thereby聽,聽as well as supporting a range of smaller animals which聽聽found within the elephant鈥檚 faeces.

5. Threats

Despite their critical importance to Southeast Asia鈥檚 ecosystem, these incredible creatures聽 have been listed as 鈥楨ndangered鈥� under the聽聽 (IUCN) Red List since 1986. Studies conducted in the mid-70s indicated聽reduction in聽population size of over 50%聽over the course of three generations (approximately 75 years), primarily based on measurements of occupancy area and quality of habitat. An investigation into the聽revealed the impact of anthropogenic pressures on half of the species鈥� geographic range, with habitat loss at the forefront of聽 threats against the Asian elephant.

The imprudent and seemingly incessant deforestation witnessed in Southeast Asia over the past three decades is truly unparalleled. It holds the highest rate of deforestation of any聽 tropical region, with聽,聽and has already destroyed over聽. Fuelled by the constant desire for agricultural and commercial development, plantations of palm oil, rubber and timber gradually limit the amount of space and vegetation available for wild elephants. Inevitably,聽occur over聽 land and crops, leading to increased violence towards these creatures. Additionally, linear infrastructure, such as roads, railways and canals,聽obstruct traditional migratory routes,聽endanger the lives of elephants, and push them further from protected areas. In India,聽 approximately聽310 elephants have perished聽due to railroad accidents from 1987 to 2019, whereas in Sri Lanka the figure stands at聽21 elephant deaths聽between 2018-2019 alone.

Deforestation in Indonesia to clear land for palm oil plantations (image by Ulet Ifansasti for Greenpeace).聽

Another major threat towards the Asian elephant is their illegal capture for labour and聽 tourism. Today, approximately聽one third of the Asian elephant population is in captivity,聽with聽 most found in Thailand, India and Myanmar. Whilst some are used for logging and mining work, the majority are utilised for聽performing at shows or giving rides to tourists. Fear-based techniques are used to tame the animals into submission, with little concern for their聽welfare. Further exacerbating the situation is the difficulty with regulating this industry, since聽elephants in captivity are classified as domestic animals聽and are thereby 鈥榩roperty.鈥�

Whilst ivory mainly originates from African elephants, due to the fact that female Asian聽 elephants do not have tusks and some males never develop theirs, poaching still poses a great danger to Asian elephant populations. Elephants are poached for their聽skin, meat, tail聽聽hair and other body parts,聽as the聽use of elephant skin in jewellery and pharmaceutical聽products聽has increased in popularity over the past few years.

You might also like:聽World Elephant Day: 12 Incredible Facts About Elephants

6. Conservation Efforts

Conservation efforts have been underway for decades, yet with the ever-increasing聽 population of Southeast Asia and the difficulties with regulating illegal trade, the protection of the Asian elephant has proven difficult.

The main priority in elephant conservation is the preservation and restoration of their聽 habitat, with a focus on聽forest connectivity and the establishment of protected areas as core聽habitats. Studies have shown that, whilst some countries still possess a fairly decent amount of potential elephant habitat,聽only 补听聽and it is often fragmented by anthropogenic structures. In addition, the聽introduction of invasive species聽and livestock聽has heavily impacted the quality and availability of vegetation habitually consumed by Asian elephants. In Myanmar, an area of聽170,000 square kilometres was聽聽identified聽as suitable for elephant inhabitation in 2003, yet only 7% of that land was聽 protected by the local government. Furthermore, pre-existing protected areas, such as the Kathapa National Park and the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary,聽accommodate only a very聽small percentage of all Asian elephants within Myanmar. The majority of Asian elephant populations inhabit areas frequently utilised by humans.

There is thus a clear need to expand conservation efforts beyond maintaining currently protected areas. An extensive investigation into the traditional migratory routes of each Asian elephant subspecies is needed to highlight the regions in which forest corridors should聽 be established to maintain forest connectivity.In India, the聽,聽has been successful in securing habitat聽 protection and connectivity through the collaborative work of local NGOs, forest departments, and communities.

In areas where elephants and humans must inevitably coincide, education and awareness building programs are necessary for local communities to understand how to defuse encounters without the use of violence.聽WWF has been actively supporting local populations聽in establishing eco-friendly elephant deterrents around crops, as well as in learning how to safely usher elephants back into the forest.

NGO Spotlight: Asian Elephants Society

In an effort to combat the illegal capture, trade and poaching of Asian elephants,聽international NGOs have partnered with local agencies聽in conducting wildlife patrols throughout core elephant habitats.

Of equal importance is the work conducted by local NGOs, such as the聽(VFAES). As news of wildlife deaths tend to escape international medi补听 attention, organisations such as the VFAES shed light on the ongoing plight of Asian聽elephants in remote, and often forgotten parts of India. Most recently, they highlighted the聽聽during the COVID-19聽 pandemic, as restrictions limited the number of patrols conducted around forested areas. Their numerous local projects, such as the聽positioning of reflective billboards along highways聽to protect elephants from road accidents, as well as the聽,聽have saved the lives of countless elephants.

A herd of Indian elephants crossing a highway in Odisha (photo from the Voice for Asian Elephants Society).

What Can You Do?

1. Avoid palm oil. The next time you visit your local supermarket, try to avoid purchasing any聽 products that contain palm oil. Palm oil plantations are one of the biggest culprits behind聽 the mass deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia.
2. Buy forest-friendly coffee and wood. When purchasing coffee or timber wood, try to find a Forest Stewardship Council (FCS) certified brand, which ensures that your products聽 originated from responsibly managed forests.
3. Boycott elephant captivity. When visiting Southeast Asia, avoid elephant camps, farms,聽 homes, zoos, and even some self-proclaimed 鈥榮anctuaries鈥�, where elephants are physically聽 and mentally abused. Avoid riding elephants or purchase paintings 鈥榩ainted by elephants鈥�.
4. Support and donate to an elephant conservation organisation. You may wish to help fund education campaigns, wildlife patrols, or the preservation of elephant habitats by donating to organisations such as聽聽or the聽.
5. Buy 补听notebook. Their paper products are made from elephant dung and recycled paper, in which proceeds help fund and provide educational workshops to local Asian聽 communities on elephant welfare, create fair wage jobs for local workers, and raise awareness on the protection of Asian elephants.

Featured image by:聽

If you want to learn more about endangered species, make sure to check out other articles from our Endangered Species Spotlight Series