Why is the Asian elephant endangered?

Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, combined with poaching for ivory and skin, have driven a population decline of roughly 50% over the past 60 to 75 years.

How intelligent are Asian elephants?

Very intelligent — they have a large, highly developed neocortex and display behaviors such as tool use, imitation, play, altruism, and apparent grief.

How long have Asian elephants been domesticated?

Evidence from the Indus Valley Civilization shows Asian elephants were domesticated and used for work more than 5,000 years ago.

Asian Elephantアジアゾウ

Elephas maximusEN— Endangered

The Asian elephant is the largest land animal native to Asia, ranging across grasslands and forests from India to Borneo. It is a highly intelligent, social herbivore capable of tool use and complex emotional behavior, and has been domesticated for labor for over 5,000 years. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching have driven a roughly 50% population decline over the past 60 to 75 years, and the IUCN lists it as Endangered.

Asian Elephant (reference photo) — Photo: Yathin S Krishnappa / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Proboscidea / Elephantidae Source
Size: Body length (including trunk) about 5.5–8 m; shoulder height about 2.75 m in males and about 2.4 m in females
Weight: Males average about 4.0 tons, females about 2.7 tons
Lifespan: Said to average about 60 years in the wild, but studies show a median of about 41.6 years in protected-area populations and about 18.9 years in zoo populations, with large differences by environment
Diet: Herbivore Herbivorous, eating at least 112 plant species, mainly grasses as well as branches, leaves, bark, roots, and fruit; consumes up to 150 kg a day
Activity: Crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk
Distribution: The Asian elephant ranges across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west to Borneo in the east, and from Nepal in the north to Sumatra in the south. Source
Sources: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

Did You Know?

Asian elephants have a large, highly developed neocortex and display complex behaviors including grief, learning, imitation, play, altruism, and tool use. Source
Evidence from the Indus Valley Civilization shows that Asian elephants were domesticated and used for labor more than 5,000 years ago. Source
The Asian elephant is the national animal of Thailand and Laos, and has been designated India's national heritage animal. Source

Where to See This Species

Operating facilities registered on this site: Japan 27

Asian Elephantアジアゾウ

Species Data

Did You Know?

Where to See This Species

Ueno ZooTokyoOpened in 1882

Sapporoshimaruyama DoubutsuenHokkaidoOpened in 1951

Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical GardensAichiOpened in 1937

ICHIHARA Elephant KingdomChibaOpened in 1989

Adventure WorldWakayamaOpened in 1978

Ishikawa DoubutsuenIshikawaAbout 60 minutes from the Kanazawa-Morimoto Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, about 40 minutes from the Kanazawa-Nishi Interchange, and about 20 minutes from the Komatsu Interchange.

Asahiyama ZooHokkaidoOpened in 1967

Utsunomiya DoubutsuenTochigiAbout 5 minutes from the Utsunomiya IC on the Tohoku Expressway; free parking for 1,000 cars.

Yokohama Shiritsu Yokohama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1999

Yokohama Shiritsu Nogeyama DoubutsuenKanagawaOpened in 1951

Okazakishihigashi Kouen DoubutsuenAichiAbout 1 km toward Toyota from the Okazaki IC on the Tomei Expressway.

Iwate SafariParkIwateAbout 45 minutes from the Ichinoseki IC, about 30 minutes from the Wakayanagi-Kannari IC, or about 25 minutes via National Route 284.

Kyoto City ZooKyotoOpened in 1903

Kiryuugaoka DoubutsuenGunmaIf driving, set your car navigation to "Kiryugaoka Amusement Park" (Kiryugaoka Yuenchi) rather than "Kiryugaoka Zoo" to reach the parking lot (searching by the zoo name may give an incorrect route).

African safariOitaBy car, the park is about 6 km (about 7 minutes) from the Beppu-wan Smart IC.

OJI ZOOHyogo3 minutes on foot west from Oji-Koen Station on the Hankyu line.

Sendaishiyagiyama Doubutsu KouenMiyagiTake the Sendai Subway Tozai Line to Yagiyama Zoological Park Station; the zoo is right by the elevator from Central Exit 1 (about 12 minutes from Sendai Station).

Chiba Zoological ParkChibaOpened in 1985

Naganoshichausuyama DoubutsuenNaganoThe nearest station is JR Shinonoi Station.

Tennoji ZooOsakaOpened in 1915

Tohoku SafariParkFukushimaAddress: 1 Sawamatsukura, Nihonmatsu, Fukushima.

HIMEJI CENTRAL PARKHyogoFrom the north exit of JR Himeji Station, take the Shinki Bus bound for Himeji Central Park (fare: adults ¥590, children ¥300).

Himeji Shiritsu DoubutsuenHyogoOpened in 1951

Hamamatsu Zoological GardensShizuokaOpened in 1950

Fuji Safari ParkShizuokaOpened in 1980

Fukuoka Zoo & Botanical GardenFukuokaOpened in 1953

Fukuyama Shiritsu DoubutsuenHiroshimaThere is no public transportation; access is by car.

Temporarily closed facilities

Koufushiyuuki Kouen Fuzoku DoubutsuenYamanashi

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