One of the worst problems facing the Asian elephant is encroachment on its habitat which comes from human development and the shrinking acreage of its native rain forest and wetlands homes.

It is now estimated that there are fewer than 30,000 Asian elephants left in the wild – less than the population of Dumfries, Scotland.

They once used to roam free across the wetlands of Asia but now are confined to a much smaller area in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Indochina, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. For this reason, Asian elephants are considered an endangered species.

The efforts to save the Asian Elephant can be summarised below:

• Preventing further deforestation
• Connecting areas of fragmented forest
• Working with governments and local communities to formulate a land conservation strategy
• Using modern technology to track elephant populations and better understand their needs

Conservation Efforts – Habitat

Conservation of the animal begins with conservation of its habitat. In Thailand, the majority of the remaining Asian elephants consider the Chiang Mai province home. Intensive logging has reduced the forest canopy to a mere fraction of what it used to cover, approximately 15% – less than the acreage designated as national park land.

With native wildlife at risk, local communities and their spiritual and superstitious beliefs have been put to good use to save Asian elephants and other endangered species. Trees in the rain forest are being tied with Buddhist cloth. The bright saffron colour protects the trees from being cut down as it is believed that bad luck would result, in addition to being highly offensive to the Buddhist Holy Spirit. This program has proven extremely effective so far, years after its inception.

In addition to preventing trees from being felled, new hard woods are being planted. Many of them are fast-growing and will augment Thailand’s rain forest canopy in a short period of time.

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the World Wildlife Federation (WWF) have teamed up to formulate a strategy to conserve the Asian elephant’s preferred environment across the continent of Asia.

The first step is to identify the existing population and then pinpoint the ones most in need of quick help. The team will focus on long-term planning regarding future land use and present this to national governments in the hopes it will be adopted continent-wide.

Technology and Conservation

Modern technology is an effective aid in conservation efforts. GPS tracking via satellite coordinates will help researchers find, identify, and trace movement of herds of wild Asian elephants across the continent.

Digital maps show the amount of available land suitable as habitat for these mammals. Computer models show whether or not it is viable to sustain the population of Asian elephants in captivity, or as domesticated creatures.

It is important that steps be taken now, and in the future, to protect the Asian elephant and ensure that this gentle giant has an adequate area to roam.

For more information find out why Asian Elephants are endangered.