Asian Elephants and Poo Poo Paper

Asian Elephants

Asian elephants are sometimes known as Indian elephants. They are one of the three living species of elephant. Asian elephants are found mostly in India, Indochina, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and Asian elephants also have smaller ears. This is one of the best ways to tell Asian elephants apart from African elephants. The height of an Asian elephant ranges from 7-12 feet and they weigh approximately 3.25 to 5.5 tons. There are other physical characteristics that separate Asian elephants from their African counterparts. They have a more arched back and also have more nails on the feet. While both male and female African elephants have tusks, female Asian elephants usually do not have these tusks. Females that do have tusks often have tusks that are small and hard to see.

Behavior of Asian Elephants

Elephants travel in migratory routes that are seasonal in nature. These routes often take the Asian elephants through wet and dry zones. The oldest member of the herd is the elephant charged with remembering where the routes lead. Asian elephants live for about 60 years when they are in the wild and 80 years when they are in zoos and other captive environments. The females live in small groups that are led by the oldest female in the group. The herd that elephants travel in consists of relative elephants. Male elephants are called bull elephants. They like to travel alone and often become involved in conflicts over female elephants during the mating season.

Domestic Use of Asian Elephants

Asian elephants have been domesticated for many purposes. In Southern and Southeast Asia, elephants have been used for forestry purposes because their tusks and large size make it easy for them to knock down small trees and brush. Asian elephants have also been used during ceremonies for many centuries. Some areas charge money to tourists to see Asian elephants in the wild, but it is difficult to do this because elephants may damage property.

Danger of Asian Elephants

Because of their size, Asian elephants are rather dangerous. They have tusks and large bodies that can be used to destroy property and cause harm to humans and other animals. Adult males are particularly aggressive because of the surge in testosterone they experience after they go through puberty. This aggression gives them the ability to cause a lot of damage in a short amount of time.

Subspecies of Asian Elephants

There are four subspecies of Asian elephants. The Indian elephant (E. m. indicus) lives in southern India, northwest India, and the foothills of the Himalayans. This subspecies has males that usually have tusks. The Sri Lankan elephant (E. m. maximus) only lives in Sri Lanka. Most of the elephants do not have tusks whether they are male or female. The Sumatran elephant (E. m. sumatrensis) lives in Sumatra. This elephant is sometimes known as the pocket elephant because of its small size. The Borneo elephant (E. m. borneensis) is the smallest subspecies and lives in north Borneo. Even though this is the smallest subspecies, it has the biggest ears.

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Why is the Asian Elephant Endangered?

The greatest threat to the Asian elephant's survival is encroachment of its natural habitat by man. Deforestation and farming are clearing away their food source, causing many of these magnificent animals to die of starvation. A further reason why this magnificent animal is endangered is due to the fact that they are being hunted for their ivory tusks. This practice is illegal, yet poachers still earn vast sums of money for the elephant's tusks.

Elephants can weigh up to 5.5 tons and stand at a height of 3 metres, yet for all their bulk and strength they are still extremely fragile. They can be found everywhere from evergreen forests to dry scrubland and can spend up to 20 hours a day feeding. An adult Asian elephant can consume up to 200 kg's of food daily, ranging from fruits to berries and shrubs, leaves and bark.

Pollution of the environment in which Asian elephants live is also having a negative impact upon these animals. Today there are less than 50,000 to be found in the wild and that wild is slowly disappearing as vegetation is cleared away to make way for progress. Ironically elephants are used to clear large tracts of lands.

A battle for resources has led to tragic conflicts between Asian elephants and humans, resulting in the deaths of many elephants who are reported as 'rogue'. Unfortunately aggressive behaviour from elephants can cause vast devastation and even the deaths of humans, so an aggressive elephant is quickly killed. Approximately 15,000 Asian elephants are kept in captivity, many under questionable circumstances. They are currently listed on the endangered species list and will continue to be so until conservation efforts are put in place to preserve what is left of their natural habitat.

Find out more about why Asian Elephants are endangered and what is being done to save Asian Elephants today.

Asian and African Elephants

Asian and African Elephants

While Asian and African elephants may appear similar in appearance, there are many differences that separate these two types of elephants. Both types have physical characteristics and adaptations that differ, making them better suited to their individual habitats. Understanding the differences between African and Asian elephants can help you to understand how they survive in the wild and live in harmony with nature.

Weight & Height

The Asian elephant is the smaller of the two elephants, weighing in at 3.25 to 5.5 tons. The African elephant weighs between 5.5 and 7 tons, making it anywhere from 100-3,000 pounds heavier than an Asian elephant. The African elephant is also taller than the Asian elephant with a height of 10-13 feet. The Asian elephant is only 7-12 feet tall. The differences in size between the two types of elephants are likely due to their heritage and natural habitat.

Physical Characteristics & Adaptations

There are several differences in some of the characteristics and physical adaptations that Asian and African elephants have. The Asian elephant has smaller ears than its African counterpart even though they both serve to cool the elephant when it gets too warm. The African elephant has only three toes on each hind foot, but the Asian elephant has four toes on each of the hind feet. The African elephant's back is curved while the Asian elephant's back is humped. Both types of elephants use their trunks to help them with daily activities like bathing with water, eating, and communicating with other elephants. However, the African elephant has two extremities coming from the trunk while the Asian elephant only has one. Almost all African elephants have tusks, even the females. In contrast, most female Asian elephants do not have tusks. If they do, the tusks are barely visible.

Domestic Use

There is a big difference in how African and Asian elephants have been used for domestic purposes. Asian elephants have been used for domestic purposes for many centuries. The people of Asia often use elephants as ceremonial animals and may ride these elephants during special ceremonies. Some Asian elephants have been used as working elephants for help with milling and other industrial activities. Because elephants are so tall and heavy, they are often used in forestry to knock down small trees, brush, shrubs, and undergrowth to make it easier for foresting to take place.

Behavior

Asian and African elephants behave similarly, but because their bodies are different, there are some minor differences in behavior. While female African elephants have tusks and can cut down shrubs and trees, the female Asian elephant usually does not have tusks. This may change a female's behavior when she encounters obstacles on the migratory paths that groups of elephants travel together. The differences in physical adaptations on each type of elephant also make a difference in behavior.

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The Plight of the Asian Elephants

Elephants and man have lived and worked alongside each other for centuries but this relationship is now in a state of flux. In particular, the Asian Elephant is now considered to be an endangered species. The impact is visible in Laos, once known as the 'Land of a Million Elephants', is now home to little over a thousand Elephants. According to the organization Elephant Family 'in another 30 years they could just vanish all together'.

How and why did this happen? There are a number of reasons:-

Loss of habitat is one reason. As civilization and industries expand, the Elephants natural jungle and forest homes have been shrinking at a rapid rate. In the fight for the land there have been injuries on both sides. The end result is that the Elephant herds, in some areas, have their pathway to food and water sources cut off. In some cases Elephants can be cut off from their herds. Neither result is a positive one for the Elephants.

Lack of breeding is another. As Elephants are worked to near exhaustion there is little time or inclination for them to breed and this is obviously directly impacting the number of Elephants. In addition the gestation and rearing of the baby calf can take between four to five years, having a 'worker' out of action for this length of time is not affordable to most farmers. With little breeding the number of Elephants will continue to dwindle and extinction would seem to be a likely outcome if not addressed.

We know the problem but what is being done to address this issue?

In Laos, an organization called the 'Elephant Conservation Center' has been established to address the breeding issue. At the Elephant Conservation Center pregnant Elephants return home to an idyllic jungle setting where they can be cared for. The gestation period for an Elephant is 22 months, so to encourage the farmers to rest their Elephants, the farmer is lent a hand tractor to do the work of the Elephant.

Following the birth the mother cares for the calf for up to three years. Both mother and calf are able to stay at the Conservation Center for another two years to assist to maintain the good health of both the mother and calf. The Elephants handler, or mahout, lives at the Elephant Conservation Center with the Elephants and are paid a salary for up to four years.

The Center is not only offering a breeding program for the Lao Elephant but it is also encouraging the farmers to rest their elephants, which also helps with breeding. This is a great step forward in resolving the plight of the Asian Elephant.

I love Elephants, do you?

For the past few year Gai has traveled the world photographing and writing about her experience. There has been a lot of fun along the way and a few mishaps also, but it is always fun. Read more about Laos where Gai visited the Elephant Conservation Center in 201109, there photo gallery is also that you may enjoy here.

Rainforest Animals - Asian Elephant

Asian Elephant

Scientific Name:

Elephas maximus

Status:

Endangered

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Elephas

Species: E. maximus

General Information:

The Asian elephant is one of three recognized extant species of the family elephantidae; the other two are the African forest elephant and the African bush elephant. It is also the largest terrestrial mammal in Asia. This hullking animal once patrolled vast stretches of Asia in abundance, but today is an endangered species confined to a few select regions of South and Southeast Asia. It is estimated that there are only between 25,600 and 32,750 individuals remaining in the wild. The Asian elephant has also become prominent as a domestic creature, assisting in industry as a beast of burden and also fulfilling tourist and traditional roles. In military history, the Asian elephant has been a presence upon a many battlefields, used for combat from the days of Ancient India through the era of Alexander the Great and into the days of the Moguls.

Physical Description:

Asian elephants are generally smaller than their African bush counterparts. Asian elephants differ from their African cousins with their smaller ears and different cranial structure. Also, while both male and female African elephants have long tusks, only the male Asian elephant has visible tusks; the female Asian elephant's tusks are so short they are pratically not visible. There are four currently recognized subspecies of Asian elephant: the Indian elephant (E. m. indicus), the Sri Lanka elephant (E. m. maximus), the Sumatran elephant (E. m. sumatrensis), and the newly classified Borneo elephant (E. m. borneensis). Of the four subspecies, the smallest is the Borneo elephant, also known as the Borneo pygmy elephant (which also bears the recognition of being the tamest of the four as well). The largest is the Sri Lankan elephant, closely followed by the Indian elephant. Although both races can reach heights of a bit over 11 feet, the Sri Lankan elephant has a heavier weight of up to 12,000 lbs.

Diet:

Elephants are voracious eaters, consuming about 10% of their body weight in food each day. It also requires 80 - 200 liters of water daily as well. It feeds on a wide array of vegetation, preferring grasses but also eating leaves, roots, banks, and vines.

Habitat:

Elephants primarily occur in scrub forests, but are also found along forest edges where more open and grassy areas are available. They range from India, Nepal, and Bangladesh to Sri Lanka and throughout portions of Indochina. It is also found in parts of Indonesia.

Reproduction:

Females are capable of giving birth about every 4 - 6 years, and can birth about 7 calves per lifetime. Gestation lasts for approximately 19 - 22 months. Mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and aunts all help in raising the young.

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Helping Abused and Orphaned Asian Elephants

Helping elephants is something that anyone who has a genuine interest in nature and the environment should try to do if they would like to help protect these beautiful animals and keep them from becoming extinct. Because of their habitats and the circumstances that they can encounter, Asian elephants often end up injured, abused, and orphaned. When this happens, they need human help to get them back to health and let them go back into the wild to try to survive on their own. Understanding how Asian elephants become injured, abused, and orphaned can help you to understand why helping elephants is so important.

Elephant Injuries

Elephants can sustain fairly serious injuries for a number of reasons. Males who are fighting for females during mating season can get hurt seriously due to the aggression displayed during breeding. If Asian elephants migrate into an area where there are land mines or other weapons, they may be injured with an explosion that burns their bodies or causes them to lose body parts. Other injuries may be sustained if an elephant is sick and can't get around as well as it normally does.

Elephant Abuse

Elephants can be abused by the people who keep them in captivity. Asian elephants that are kept in captivity are often subjected to horrific abuse from the people keeping them. They can be whipped and beaten and have punishments inflicted on them to make them behave or do what their owners want them to do. This abuse results in serious injuries and may make an elephant behave differently as a psychological response.

Orphaned Elephants

Orphaned elephants are young elephants that lose their mothers. This can happen if a mother elephant is critically injured or dies after her calf has been born. When orphaned elephants are too young to survive on their own, they need intervention from humans so that they can survive until they are old enough to go back into the wild and do it on their own.

Helping Asian Elephants

Helping elephants takes a lot of hard work by volunteers all over the world. While some volunteers work directly with the elephants at shelters and orphanages, there are also people all over the world who are raising money to keep these shelters going and working to make sure as many elephants can be helped as possible. Elephant orphanages have opened in Sri Lanka and other areas so that Asian elephants can be helped as much as possible. These orphanages are staffed by volunteers who work directly with the elephants. The elephants are kept in pens, so these pens must be cleaned each day. This means removing the elephant dung on a daily basis. These volunteers also bathe orphaned elephant calves, feed the elephants, and care for their injuries. As the elephants get stronger, they may be able to go back into the wild and try to survive on their own.

Helping elephants is an important cause that everyone should know more about. Do some research and you'll see how important it is to help Asian elephants.

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How Are We Helping Asian Elephants?

The Asian elephant is a magnificent animal, one, which has special significance for people all over the world. Weighing up to 5 tonnes and standing at a height of up to 3 metres they are the largest land animals in Asia with very few natural predators.

However due to a combination of pollution, encroachment and habitat destruction resulting from human activity, Conservationists believe there are now less than 30,000 Asian elephants left in the wild. Therefore this majestic animal which once roamed right across Asia finds itself on the endangered species list, meaning it faces the threat of extinction in the near future.

The Conservation Effort

The main focus of the conservation effort is on the elephants' habitat. Over recent years intensive logging and farming have resulted in huge swathes of forest leaving less than 15% of the original area. Ironically in some parts of Asia it is the elephants themselves that are used (by humans) to pull the huge logs out of the forest to be transported away.

Conservation charities have been working hard with local communities to halt the devastation. For example in Thailand, the superstitions of the Buddhist communities have been utilised as a way of saving the elephants of Chiang Mai province. By tying brightly coloured Buddhist cloth around trees, they are saved from being cut down because people believe that bad luck would result. This seemingly small program has proved extremely effective despite only being introduced a few years ago.

Green Shoots

As well as preventing trees from being cut down, conservationists have been planting new hard wood trees. These fast growing trees will help replenish the rainforest quicker so that Thailand's elephants can once again enjoy a larger area. Plans are also being developed to take similar programs across Asia to give back the natural environment.

Utilising Modern Technology

Modern technology such as chainsaws, heavy land moving equipment etc is largely responsible for the devastation to the rainforests but through the use of other modern technology conservationists hope to get ahead in their efforts to save the Asian elephant.

GPS trackers allow scientists and researcher to follow herds of wild elephants through the forests so they can gain a better understanding of their movements. Computer generated land models can be used to identify areas where the elephants could live and develop so their numbers are allowed to grow once more.

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Supporting conservation projects worldwide so that the magnificent Asian elephant has a chance of survival. Without our help this species which has roamed the earth for almost 7 million years could become extinct within the century.