Asian elephants

The Asian elephant, commonly referred to as the Asiatic elephant, is the only species of Elephas that is still alive today. It is found throughout Southeast Asia, from India in the west to Nepal in the east. The largest living terrestrial animal in Asia is the Asian elephant. Due to a population drop of at least 50% over the previous three generations of elephants, or roughly 60–75 years, the Asian elephant has been categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 1986. The main threats to it are habitat loss, habitat degradation, habitat fragmentation, and poaching to Borneo in the east, Sumatra in the south, and the north.

Despite having the appearance of gentle giants, Asian elephants are actually quite violent when aroused, especially when they have calves and feel threatened. Native to the subcontinent of India, the Indian elephant lives in scrublands, tropical forests, and grasslands. Sadly, over the past few decades, the population has dropped by at least half.

Every year, wild Asian elephants go to the region of India in search of food, destroying any crops that stand in their way. Due to habitat loss and degradation, Asian elephants can wander into farms and human settlements. More than 100 individuals are thought to have perished in India as a result of elephant assaults. Between 2001 and 2006, 239 people were reportedly killed by elephants in the Assam state of the northeast.