asian elephant

ElephantAsian

Bruna Barretto

ElephantAsian

Elepants

© november 2009

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1ª edição: outubro 2009

Introduction

Background

A Species that needs space

Physical Description

Size

Habitat

Matriarchal System

Breeding

Diet

Population and Distribution

Current Population

Threats

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ElephantAsian

6 � Elephant

Asian Elephant � 7

HabitatTropical and Subtropical

Moist Broadleaf Forests,

Tropical and Subtropical Dry

Broadleaf Forests

Population25,600 to 32,750 individuals

Height and LengthBody length - ranges from

550 to 640 cm; Shoulder

height from 250 to 300 cm

Scientific NameElephas maximus spp

StatusEndangered (IUCN A2c);

CITES: Appendix I

Skin colourDark grey to brown, with

patches of pink on the

forehead, the ears, the base

of the trunk and chest

WeightUpto 5,000 kg

8 � Elephant

Background

Although many thousands of domesticated Asian elephants

are found in Southeast Asia, this magnificent animal is

threatened by extinction in the wild: in the face of rapidly

growing human populations, the Asian elephant’s habitat is

shrinking fast.

Wild elephant populations are mostly small, isolated, and

unable to join as ancient migratory routes are cut off by

human settlements. Confrontations between elephants and

people often lead to deaths on both sides, and poaching for

ivory, meat and hides is still a widespread problem.

A species that needs space

Through the Asian Rhinos and Elephants Action Strategy

(AREAS), WWF is working throughout

the Asian elephant range to conserve

the remaining populations and their

habitats. And because these large

animals need a lot of space to survive,

WWF considers the Asian elephant a

‘flagship’ species, whose conservation

would help maintain biological

diversity and ecological integrity over

extensive areas.

Physical Description

The Asian elephant is the largest

terrestrial mammal in Asia. It is smaller

than the African elephant (Loxodonta

africana), with relatively smaller ears,


and the head (not the shoulder) is the highest part of

the body. Asian elephants have a single “finger” on the

upper lip of the trunk, while African elephants have a

second on the lower tip.

Only some male Asian elephants carry tusks;

females have small tushes, which seldom show. But a

significant number of adult males are tuskless, and the

percentage of males carrying ivory varies by region

(possibly reflecting the intensity of past ivory hunting),

from only about 5% in Sri Lanka to 90% in south India.

Asian elephants are almost hairless, with the few

sparse ones being long, stiff, and bristly.

Asian elephants keep their ears in constant motion in

order to radiate the heat they generate and therefore

cool themselves. The species are reported to have well

developed hearing, vision, and olfaction, and are also

fine swimmers.

Size

The total body length of Asian elephants ranges from

550 to 640 cm, and shoulder height from 250 to 300

cm. Males can weigh up to 5,000 kg.

Colour

The skin colour of Asian elephants is dark grey to

brown, with patches of pink on the forehead, the ears,

the base of the trunk and chest.

10 � Elephant

Habitat

Major habitat typeTropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests,

Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests

Biogeographic realmIndo-Malayan

Range States India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,

Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China,

Malaysia (Peninsular and Borneo), Indonesia (Borneo

and Sumatra)

Ecological RegionSouthwestern Ghats Moist Forests, Sri Lankan Moist

Forests, Northern Indochina Subtropical Moist

Forests, Annamite Range Moist Forests, Sumatran

Islands Lowland and Montane Forests, Kayah-Karen/

Tenasserim Moist Forests, Peninsular Malaysian

Lowland and Montane Forests, Borneo Lowland

and Montane Forests, Eastern Deccan Plateau Moist

Forests, Naga-Manupuri-Chin Hills Moist Forests,

Cardamom Mountains Moist Forests, Indochina

Dry Forests, Chhota-Nagpur Dry Forests, Eastern

Himalayan Broadleaf and Conifer Forests, Terai-Duar

Savannas and Grasslands, Mekong River, Western

Ghats Rivers and Streams, Salween River, Sundaland

Rivers and Swamps.


Why is this species important?

Sacred but exploited, the Asian

elephant has been worshipped for

centuries and today is still used for

ceremonial and religious purposes.

Not only is it revered for its role within

Asian culture and religion, it is also a

key biological species in the tropical

forests of Asia.

Domesticated elephants are found

throughout South and Southeast

Asia and are trained as working

animals. Their ability to work in

rugged country makes them valuable

in forestry operations, while in India

most Forest Department-owned

elephants are now used for patrolling

and anti-poaching work, especially

during monsoon season.

Introducing the ‘matriarchal’ system

Asian elephants are found in scrub

forest and they favour areas with grass,

low woody plants and trees.

Social StructureAsian elephants are extremely sociable,

forming groups of 6 to 7 related females

that are led by the oldest female, the

‘matriarch’. Like African elephants, these

groups occasionally join others to form

herds, although these associations are

relatively transient.

12 � Elephant

Life CycleYoung Asian elephants are reported to stand soon

after birth and can follow their mother in her daily

routine after a few days. After several months, the

calf begins to eat grass and foliage although it may

nurse occasionally for about 18 months. It stays under

supervision of its mother for several years, but begins

making independent movements at 4 years.

By 7-8 years of age, the young may form subgroups

or associate briefly with older bulls. Growth slows in

females at 10-12 years, in males at 15 years, and full size

is attained at about 17 years.

Both sexes may become sexually mature at as early as

9 years, but males usually do not reach sexual activity

until 14-15 years, and even then they are not capable

of the social dominance that usually is necessary for

successful reproductive activity. There have been some

reports of elephants living over 100 years.

Breeding

When the habitat conditions are favourable, female

elephants may give birth to a calf every 2.5-4 years,

otherwise every 5-8 years. Asian elephants give birth

to one calf weighing 50-150 kg.

DietMore than two thirds of the day may be spent feeding

on grasses, but large amounts of tree bark, roots,

leaves and small stems are also eaten. Cultivated crops

such as bananas, rice and sugarcane are favoured

foods. Because they need to drink at least once a day,

the species are always close to a source of fresh water.


Usually, elephants do not feed for more than a few days in a

given location. Adults eat approximately 150 kg net weight

per day.

Population and distribution

Previous Population and DistributionThe Asian elephant, whose ancestors originated in Africa

some 55 million years ago and ranged from modern Iraq

and Syria to the Yellow River in China, is now found only

from India to Vietnam, with a tiny besieged population in the

extreme southwest of China’s Yunnan Province.

A pygmy species of Elephas, E. falconeri, occurred on certain

Mediterranean and Aegean islands in the late Pleistocene

and early recent epochs. More than 100,000 Asian elephants

may have existed at the start of the twentieth century.

Current Population and Distribution Killed for their ivory, meat, and bone, and

for their live young, Asia’s last remaining

elephants continue to decline in number in

the face of poaching and habitat destruction.

As recently as 1995, only 25,600 to 32,750

Asian elephants were thought to remain in

the wild. Since then, several populations have

dwindled still further, and scientists fear that

current populations may have fallen well

below 1995 estimates.

About a further 16,000

elephants are held in captivity

throughout Southeast Asia

while there are thought to

be approximately 6,000

domesticated elephants in

Myanmar alone.


Threats

Conflict, loss of land and hunting

The continually growing human population

of tropical Asia has encroached upon the

elephant’s dense but dwindling forest

habitat. About 20% of the world’s human

population lives in or near the present range

of the Asian elephant.

Fierce competition for living space has

resulted in human suffering, a dramatic loss

of forest cover, and reduced Asian elephant

numbers to around 25,600 to 32,750 animals

in the wild.

Asian elephant populations are highly

fragmented, with fewer than 10 populations

comprising more than 1,000 individuals in

a contiguous area, greatly decreasing their

chances for survival.

Most of the National Parks and reserves

where elephants occur are too small to

accommodate viable elephant populations.

The conversion of forested areas to

agricultural use also leads to serious

elephant-human conflicts. In India, up to 300

people are killed by elephants each year.

Habitat loss and fragmentation In the face of rapidly growing human populations,

the Asian elephants’ habitat is shrinking fast and

wild elephant populations are mostly small, isolated,

and unable to mingle as ancient migratory routes

are cut off by human settlements.

16 � Elephant

Large development projects (such as dams, roads, mines

and industrial complexes), plantations and spreading human

settlements have fragmented what was once contiguous

elephant habitat into small fragments.

A substantial proportion of the world’s population live in or

near the present range of the Asian elephant, which leads

to elephant-human conflict. Incidents of elephants raiding

crops and villages are on the rise. This causes losses to

human property and, sometimes, human lives. Retaliation by

villagers often results in killings of these elephants. Experts

already consider such confrontations to be the leading cause

of elephant deaths in Asia.

In some countries, the government provides compensation

for crop damage or deaths caused by elephants, but there

is still often strong political pressure on wildlife authorities

to eliminate elephants near populated regions. As human

populations increase, elephant-human conflicts are likely to

rise. Experts already consider such confrontations to be the

leading cause of elephant deaths in Asia.

Illegal hunting and trade

In Asian elephants, only males carry tusks and therefore

poaching is aimed exclusively at males. Selective removal

of tuskers for their ivory may lead to an increase in the

proportion of tuskless males in the population.

Poaching of Asian elephants for ivory and meat remains a

serious problem in many countries, especially in southern

India (where 90% of the bulls are tuskers) and in north-east

India where some people eat elephant meat. From 1995 to

1996, poaching of Asian elephants for hide, meat and ivory

increased sharply. The illegal trade in live elephants, ivory

and hides across the Thai-Myanmar border has also become

a serious conservation problem.

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Esta revista foi composta em Gills Sans MT, tipologia

desenhada por Eric Gill em 1926, uma fonte

humanista sem-serifa.; e Sabon LT projetada por Jan

Tschischold em 1966 baseada nas fontes feitaas por

Claude Garamond no século XVI.

Impresso em papel couché matter, pela gráfica J.

Sholna, em novembro 2009.

ElephantAsian

Bruna Barretto

asian elephant

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