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Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

Status: Endangered

Description: The Asian Elephant is smaller than its African relatives, and the easiest way to distinguish between the two is that the Asian Elephant has smaller ears, sometimes described as the shape of India.

Habitat Range:

The Asian Elephant is found in tropical forests and grasslands in Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, parts of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam. Generally, they reside on the edges of tropical forests where open, grassy areas are accessible.

Numbers Left in the Wild: 25,600-42,000


Primary Threats:

The advancement of agriculture, the destruction of tropical forests, and the encroachment of humans pose the greatest threats to their survival. Farms built on traditional elephant migration routes are often trampled and eaten causing elephants to be killed in the the ensuing conflicts. Poaching elephants for their ivory, meat, skin, teeth, feet, penis, and bones also poses a severe threat.

What we are doing to help:

  • Protecting the South West Elephant Corridor (SWEC) in the Cardamom Mountain Range, one of the last remaining Asian elephant corridors in Southeast Asia today.
  • Rescuing and rehabilitating elephants when appropriate at our renowned Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) in Cambodia by way of our Care for Rescued Wildlife (CRW) project.
  • The Kouprey Express mobile education unit engages Cambodian villagers and schoolchildren on key issues like resolving conflicts between humans and elephants without violence.
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