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Scientific Name: Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758
Common Names: Asian Elephant, Asiatic Elephant, Eléphant d'Asie [French], Elefante Asiático [Spanish] |
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| Since 1986, E. maximus has been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as the population has declined by at least 50 per cent over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. Asian elephants are primarily threatened by degradation, fragmentation, loss of habitat, and poaching. In 2003, the wild population was estimated at between 41,410 and 52,345 individuals. Female captive elephants have lived beyond 60 years when kept in semi-natural surroundings, such as forest camps. In zoos, elephants die at a much younger age and are declining due to a low birth and high death rate. |
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