Asian Elephant

The History of Asian Elephants

For 4,000 years, Asian elephants have been an important part of life for people in Asia. They've carried soldiers into battle, hauled logs, and taken part in religious ceremonies.

But the number of Asian elephants in the world is dwindling, and unless we act now they could soon go extinct. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Animals lists Asian elephants as endangered.

Unfortunately, these pachyderms' populations have decreased by 70 percent due to human-elephant conflict and habitat loss. There are now only 30,000 to 50,000 animals living in 13 Asian countries.

Very few areas in the wild can support elephant populations long-term, and without help the little remaining habitat Asian elephants call home—along with many other species—may disappear within 20 years. In the wild, Asian elephants help keep habitats diverse and full of life. They disperse fruits and their seeds, and create gaps in forest canopy that give small plants the sunlight they need to grow.

Without Asian elephants, biodiversity in Asian forests could significantly decrease and their ecosystems could lose supplies of food and water, as well as medicine-rich plants. About 15,000 Asian elephants live in human care, including in zoos, timber camps, temples, and private camps, as well as other places. That is one-third of all the elephants in the world.