Facts about Asian elephant

It is the largest terrestrial mammal in Asia.

• Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), found in Sri Lanka;
• Indian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus), found in mainland Asia and accounting for the majority of the remaining species;
• Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), found in Sumatra.

The Borneo pygmy elephant is considered the fourth subspecies of the Asian elephant, but currently it awaits a definitive subspecific classification as Elephas maximus borneensis and thus is not listed above.

The other subspecies–The western Asiatic elephant, also called the Syrian elephant–became extinct in ancient times.

The Asian elephant has smaller, more round ears and one finger, instead of two, on the upper lip of its trunk.

They feed on roots, fruit, twigs, bark, and grasses. They can eat up to 140 kilograms of food every day.

They are all present in the elephant’s skull at birth. Since each set is larger than the previous one, their skulls grow throughout their lifetime to make space for the new set.

They usually travel in herds, with six or seven female relatives, led by the oldest called the matriarch.

Males are rather solitary but can be found wandering in small herds.

Given proper circumstances, the female can give birth to one calf every 2.5 to 4 years.

Calves make their first independent moves at approximately four years of age.

Asian elephants can both push over a tree with their trunk, or pick up and shell a peanut.

It sucks up about eight liters of water. Asian elephants have to drink at least once a day.

Tushes are brittle and have a tendency to break. Many males do not have tusks at all.

Their vocalization can be picked up from over 1.6 kilometers away.

One of the most powerful deities of Hinduism, the Remover of Obstacles, is an elephant-headed Lord Ganesha.

It faces habitat loss and poaching, although not as severe as in Africa. Within the last 60-75 years, their numbers declined by 50%. Since Asian elephants’ habitat is shrinking due to human expansion, sometimes they invade human fields and eat their crops. As a retaliation, humans kill invading elephants, despite receiving compensation from governments.

Their current population is estimated at no more than 50,000 individuals.