Population in the wild
Between 40,000 to 50,000
IUCN status
VU
Scientific name
Elephas maximus
Order
Proboscidea
Family
Elephantidae
Region
India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and Southern China
Habitat
Forests and grasslands
Asian elephants are in decline
They currently number between 40,000-50,000 but their numbers are reducing
Asian elephant facts
- Asian elephants are more closely related to the extinct woolly mammoth than to the African elephant.
- The elephant’s tusks are elongated teeth (upper incisors) and tend to be larger in Asian bull elephants than in the African.
- The four grinding teeth (molars) wear out and are replaced by new teeth from the back of the jaws; the Asian elephant gets through six sets of teeth during its lifetime.
What do Asian elephants eat?
Vegetation, fruit, twigs, small branches, bark and roots.
Where do Asian elephants live?
India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and Southern China.
Asian elephant threats
Habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation and poaching.