Indian elephant-13268

2026-05-05T19:55:48Z

183.83.215.251:

{{Short description|Most widespread subspecies of Asian elephant}}
{{For|the species also referred to as the Indian elephant|Asian elephant}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{subspeciesbox
| name=Indian elephant
| fossil_range=[[Pleistocene]] – Recent<ref>{{cite web|url=https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=233499|title=fossilworks|access-date=4 February 2022|archive-date=12 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212192741/http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=233499|url-status=live}}</ref>
| status=EN
| status_system=IUCN3.1
| image=Elephas_maximus_(Bandipur).jpg
| image_caption= A male elephant in [[Bandipur National Park]]
| image2 =IndianElephant.jpg
| image2_caption= A female elephant in [[Nagarahole National Park]]
| genus=Elephas
| species=maximus
| species_link=Asian elephant
| subspecies=indicus
| authority=[[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]], 1798
| synonyms=''E. m. bengalensis'' de Blainville, 1843
}}

The '''Indian elephant''' ('''''Elephas maximus indicus''''') is one of three extant recognized [[subspecies]] of the [[Asian elephant]], native to mainland [[Asia]]. It has a convex back and the highest body point on its head, exhibits significant [[sexual dimorphism]] with a male reaching an average shoulder height of about {{cvt|2.75|m}} and weighing {{cvt|4000|kg}}. A female reaches an average shoulder height of about {{cvt|2.4|m}} and weighs {{cvt|2700|kg}}. It has a broader [[skull]] with a concave forehead, two large laterally folded ears and a large trunk. It has smooth grey skin with four large legs and a long tail.

The Indian elephant is native to mainland Asia with nearly three-fourth of the population in [[India]]. It also occurs in [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]] and [[Southeast Asia]]n countries including [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], [[Malaysia]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]], and [[Vietnam]] with a small population in [[China]]. It inhabits grasslands, dry [[Deciduous forests|deciduous]], moist deciduous, [[evergreen forest|evergreen]] and semi-evergreen forests across the range. It is classified as a [[megaherbivore]] and consumes up to {{cvt|150|kg}} of plant matter per day. Its diet depends on the habitat and seasons and includes leaves and twigs of fresh foliage, thorn-bearing shoots, flowering plants, fruits and grass.

Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as [[endangered species|Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] as the wild population has declined by at least 50% over the last three elephant generations. It is threatened by [[environmental degradation]], [[habitat loss]] and [[habitat fragmentation|fragmentation]]. [[Poaching]] for [[ivory]] is a serious threat in some parts of Asia. [[Project Elephant]] was launched in 1992 by the [[Government of India]] to protect elephant habitats and population.

The Indian elephant is a cultural symbol throughout its range and appears in various religious traditions and mythologies. It is treated positively and is revered as a form of [[Ganesha]] in [[Hinduism]]. It has been designated the national heritage animal in India and is the national animal of Thailand and Laos.

== Taxonomy ==
The Indian elephant (''Elephas maximus indicus'') is one of three extant recognized [[subspecies]] of the [[Asian elephant]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wilson|first1=Don E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA90|title=Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference|last2=Reeder|first2=DeeAnn M.|date=2005|publisher=JHU Press|isbn=978-0-8018-8221-0|language=en}}</ref> [[Carl Linnaeus]] proposed the [[scientific name]] ''Elephas maximus'' in 1758 for an elephant from [[Ceylon]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Linnaei, C.|year=1758|title=Caroli Linnæi Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis|volume=Tomus I|publisher=Impensis Direct. Laurentti Salvii|location=Holmiae|chapter=''Bruta''|page=33|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/mobot31753000798865#page/32/mode/2up}}</ref> ''Elephas indicus'' was proposed by [[Georges Cuvier]] in 1798, who described an elephant from India.<ref>{{cite book|author=Cuvier, G.|year=1798|title=Tableau elementaire de l'histoire naturelle des animaux|publisher=Baudouin|location=Paris|pages=148–149|chapter=''Elephas indicus''|chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/tableaulmen00cuvi#page/148/mode/2up}}</ref> [[Frederick Nutter Chasen]] classified all three as [[subspecies]] of the Asian elephant in 1940.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Chasen, F.N.|year=1940|title=A handlist of Malaysian mammals, a systematic list of the mammals of the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java, including the adjacent small islands|journal=Bulletin of the Raffles Museum|volume=15|pages=1–209|url=https://blsea.nus.edu.sg/shared/UPLOADS/JOURNALS/LOW/BulRaf_no15.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212165718/https://blsea.nus.edu.sg/shared/UPLOADS/JOURNALS/LOW/BulRaf_no15.pdf|archive-date=12 February 2020}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Elephas maximus indicus (skull) at Göteborgs Naturhistoriska Museum 2368.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|The skull of an Indian elephant at the [[:sv:Göteborgs Naturhistoriska museum|Natural History Museum]] in [[Gothenburg]]]]
In general, the Asian elephant is smaller than [[African elephant]]. Its back is convex or level with the highest body point on its head. The species exhibits significant [[sexual dimorphism]] with a male reaching an average shoulder height of about {{cvt|2.75|m}} and weighing up to {{cvt|4000|kg}} whereas a female reaches an average shoulder height of about {{cvt|2.4|m}} and weighs up to {{cvt|2700|kg}},<ref name=probos_mass>{{cite journal |last1=Larramendi |first1=A. |year=2016 |title=Shoulder height, body mass and shape of proboscideans | journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=61 |issue=3 |pages=537–574 |doi=10.4202/app.00136.2014 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Sukumar |first1 =R. |last2=Joshi |first2=N.V. |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=V. |year=1988 |title=Growth in the Asian elephant |doi=10.1007/BF03179558 | journal=Proceedings: Animal Sciences |volume=97 |issue=6|pages=561–571 |s2cid=84871322}}</ref><ref name=Kurt>{{cite journal |author1=Kurt, F. |author2=Kumarasinghe, J.C. |year=1998 |title=Remarks on body growth and phenotypes in Asian elephant ''Elephas maximus'' |doi=10.4098/AT.arch.98-39 |journal=Acta Theriologica |volume=5 |issue=Supplement |pages=135–153 |doi-access=free}}</ref> with specimens rarely exceeding {{cvt|3.2|m}} and {{cvt|5400|kg}} in males and {{cvt|2.54|m}} {{cvt|4160|kg}} in females.<ref name=Shoshani>{{cite journal |author1=Shoshani, J.|author2=Eisenberg, J. F. |year=1982 |title=''Elephas maximus''|journal=Mammalian Species |issue=182 |pages=1–8 |jstor=3504045 |doi=10.2307/3504045}}</ref> The largest Indian elephant was {{cvt|3.43|m}} high at the shoulder.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pillai |first1=N.G. |year=1941 |title=On the height and age of an elephant |journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society |volume=42 |pages=927–928}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Furaha tenVelde |first1=P. |year=1997|title=The wild elephants of the Royal Bardia National Park, Nepal |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |issue=17 |pages=41–44 |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/17-41-tenVelde.pdf|access-date=4 March 2011 |archive-date=13 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413131343/http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/17-41-tenVelde.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=probos_mass/> On average, it measures {{cvt|5.5-6.5|m}} in length including the trunk.<ref name=Shoshani/>

It has a broader [[skull]] with a concave forehead and two dorsal bulges on the top. Two large laterally folded ears and a large trunk with one finger-like process are attached to the head.<ref name=Shoshani/> It has 20 pairs of [[ribs]] and 34 [[vertebrae]]. There are four large legs which are almost straight with broader toes and with five nail like structures on each foreleg and four on each of the hind-legs.<ref name=Shoshani/> The large legs help support the larger weight for longer periods without spending much energy with the broad feet helping to cushion against hard surfaces.<ref name=Smith/> It has a long tail measuring on average {{cvt|1.2-1.5|m}} in length.<ref name=Shoshani/> The skin color is generally grey and lighter than that of ''[[Elephas maximus maximus|E. m. maximus]]'' but darker than that of ''[[Elephas maximus sumatranus|E. m. sumatranus]]''. The skin is generally smoother than that of the African species and might consist of smaller patches of white [[depigmentation]] or grey spots.<ref name=Shoshani/> The body is covered by brownish to reddish hairs which reduce and darken with age.<ref name=Smith/> The female is usually smaller than the male with short or no [[tusks]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Shoshani, J.|author-link=Jeheskel Shoshani |chapter=Taxonomy, Classification, and Evolution of Elephants |year=2006 |pages=3–14 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oCpiZA61tyQC&pg=PA3 |title=Biology, medicine, and surgery of elephants |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |isbn=0-8138-0676-3 |editor1=Fowler, M. E. |editor2=Mikota, S. K. |access-date=26 October 2020|archive-date=10 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210101515/https://books.google.com/books?id=oCpiZA61tyQC&pg=PA3|url-status=live}}</ref> There are about 29 narrow cheek teeth.<ref name=Shoshani/>

== Distribution and habitat==
{{Further|List of Indian states by elephant population}}
[[File:Beautiful_Corbett_Park.jpg|thumb|Indian elephant herd in [[Jim Corbett National Park]]]]
[[File:Tuskercorbett.jpg|thumb|A lone tusker elephant in [[Jim Corbett National Park]]]]

The Indian elephant is native to mainland Asia with nearly three-fourth of the population found in [[India]]. The species is also found in other countries of the [[Indian subcontinent]] including [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], and [[South East Asia]]n countries including [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], [[Malaysia]], [[Laos]], [[Cambodia]], and [[Vietnam]] with small populations in [[China]]. It is regionally extinct in [[Pakistan]].<ref name=IUCN/> It inhabits grasslands, dry [[Deciduous forests|deciduous]], moist deciduous, [[evergreen forest|evergreen]] and semi-evergreen forests. The total estimated wild population ranges from 23,000 to 41,000 individuals across the range.<ref name=Shoshani/><ref name=WWF>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/indian-elephant|title=Indian elephant |publisher=WWF |access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> As per the 2017 census, the estimated wild population in India was 27,312 individuals which account for nearly three-fourths of the extant population.<ref>{{cite news |title=India has 27,312 elephants, census shows |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=2017 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/india-has-27312-elephants-census-shows/article19504528.ece|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref>

The movement and habitat utilization patterns of an elephant population were studied in southern India during 1981–83 within a {{cvt|1130|km2}} study area. The vegetation types of this area encompasses dry [[thorn forest]] at {{cvt|250|to|400|m}}, [[deciduous forest]] at {{cvt|400|to|1400|m}}, stunted [[evergreen forest]] and grassland at {{cvt|1400|to|1800|m}}. Five different elephant clans, each consisting of between 50 and 200 individuals, had home ranges of between {{cvt|105|km2}} and {{cvt|320|km2}}, which overlapped. They preferred habitat where water was available and food plants were palatable. During the dry months of January to April, they congregated at high densities of up to five individuals per km2 in river valleys, where they [[Browsing (herbivory)|browsed]] plants that had a much higher [[protein]] content than the coarse tall grasses on hill slopes. With the onset of rains in May, they dispersed over a wider area at lower densities, largely into the tall grass forests, to feed on the fresh grasses, which then had a high protein value. During the second wet season from September to December, when the tall grasses became fibrous, they moved into lower elevation short grass open forests. The normal movement pattern could be upset during years of adverse environmental conditions. However, the movement pattern of elephants in this region has not basically changed for over a century, as inferred from descriptions recorded during the 19th century.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sukumar |first=R. |year=1989 |title=Ecology of the Asian Elephant in southern India. I. Movement and habitat utilization patterns |journal=Journal of Tropical Ecology |volume=5 |issue=5 |pages=1–18 |doi=10.1017/S0266467400003175 |url=http://www.asiannature.org/pdf_resources/JournalofTropicalEcologyA1989.pdf|access-date=5 March 2011|archive-date=20 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720175715/http://www.asiannature.org/pdf_resources/JournalofTropicalEcologyA1989.pdf}}</ref> In [[Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve]], three elephant clans had overall home ranges of {{cvt|562|km2}}, {{cvt|670|km2}} and {{cvt|799|km2}} in the beginning of the 1990s. During three years of survey, their annual home ranges overlapped to a large extent with only minor shifts in the home ranges between years.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Baskaran, N.|author2=Desai, A. A. |year=1996 |title=Ranging behaviour of the Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus'') in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, South India |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |issue=15 |pages=41–57 |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/15-41-Bskaran.pdf}}</ref>

There are about 138 identified elephant corridors in India, with the majority of the elephant population in India restricted to four general areas.<ref name=Sukumar>{{cite book |last=Sukumar|first=R. |year=1993|title=The Asian Elephant: Ecology and Management |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-43758-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Elephant Corridors of India |url=http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/ecorridors_glance.pdf|archive-date=27 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027185642/http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/ecorridors_glance.pdf }}</ref><ref name="PE">{{cite web |title=Project Elephant| work=The Official Website of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India| publisher=Government of India|url=https://moef.gov.in/project-elephant-pe|access-date=24 March 2026}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Elephant corridors in India
!Region
!Areas
!Corridors
!Area (km2)
!Elephant population (2017)
!Percentage of elephant population (2017)
|-
|[[Northeast India|North-East]]
|From the eastern border of Nepal in northern [[West Bengal]] through western [[Assam]] along the Himalaya foothills as far as the [[Mishmi Hills]], extending into eastern [[Arunachal Pradesh]], the plains of upper Assam, and the foothills of [[Nagaland]], to the [[Garo Hills]] of [[Meghalaya]] through the [[Khasi Hills]], to parts of the lower [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] plains and [[Karbi Anglong plateau|Karbi Plateau]]; isolated herds occur in [[Tripura]], [[Mizoram]], [[Manipur]], and in the [[Barak Valley]] districts of Assam
|58
|41,000
|10,139
|33.8%
|-
|[[East India|East]]
|In [[Odisha]], [[Jharkhand]], and in the southern part of [[West Bengal]], with some animals wandering into [[Chhattisgarh]]
|54
|23,500
|3,128
|10.4%
|-
|[[North India|North]]
|At the foot of the Himalayas in [[Uttarakhand]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]], ranging from [[Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary]] to the [[Yamuna River]]
|8
|5,500
|2,085
|7.0%
|-
|[[South India|South]]
|Eight populations are fragmented from each other in northern [[Karnataka]], in the crestline of Karnataka–[[Western Ghats]], in [[Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary|Bhadra]]–[[Malnad]], in [[Brahmagiri (hill)|Brahmagiri]]–[[Nilgiris]]–[[Eastern Ghats]], in [[Nilambur]]–[[Silent Valley National Park|Silent Valley]]–[[Coimbatore]], in [[Anaimalai Hills|Anamalai]]–[[Parambikulam]], in [[Periyar National Park|Periyar]]–[[Srivilliputhur]], and one in [[Agasthyamalai]]
|46
|40,000
|14,612
|48.8%
|}
[[File:Asian Elephants, Elephas maximus in Khao Yai national park (25421949020).jpg|thumb|Indian elephant herd in [[Khao Yai National Park]], Thailand]]
Apart from India, following is the distribution and estimated population of Indian elephants across Asia.<ref name=Sukumar/>
* 100–125 in Nepal, where their range is restricted to a few protected areas in the [[Terai]] along the border with India. In 2002, estimates ranged from 106 to 172 resident and migratory elephants, with most of them in [[Bardia National Park]]<ref>{{cite journal |last=Bhatta |first=S. R. |year=2006 |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/25-87-Bhatta.pdf|title=Efforts to conserve the Asian elephant in Nepal |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |pages=87–89}}</ref>
* 150–250 in Bangladesh, where only isolated populations survive in the [[Chittagong Hills]]
* 250–500 in Bhutan, where their range is limited to protected areas in the south along the border with India
* 4,000–5,000 in Myanmar, where populations are highly fragmented, and occur in the northern ranges and [[Arakan Yoma]] in the west, [[Pegu Yoma]] of central Myanmar, [[Tanintharyi Region|Tenasserim]] and [[Shan State]]
* 2,500–3,200 in Thailand, mainly in the mountains along the border with Myanmar, with smaller fragmented populations occurring in the peninsula in the south
* 2,100–3,100 in Malaysia
* 500–1,000 Laos, where they remain widely but patchily distributed in forested areas, both in the highlands and lowlands
* 200–250 in China, where they survive only in the prefectures of [[Xishuangbanna]], [[Simao District|Simao]], and [[Lincang]] of southern [[Yunnan]]
* 250–600 in Cambodia, where they primarily inhabit the mountains of the south-west and in [[Mondulkiri Province|Mondulkiri]] and [[Ratanakiri Province]]s
* 70–150 in the southern parts of Vietnam

== Behavior and ecology ==
=== Diet and feeding ===
[[File:Wild elephants, Munnar.jpg|thumb|Indian elephants foraging on open grasslands in [[Munnar]], Kerala]]

Elephant is classified as a [[megaherbivore]] and can consume up to {{cvt|150|kg}} of plant matter per day.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Samansiri, K. A. P. |author2=Weerakoon, D. K. |year=2007|url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/27-27-Samansiri.pdf |title=Feeding Behaviour of Asian Elephants in the Northwestern Region of Sri Lanka |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |pages=27–34}}</ref> It can spend up to 19 hours a day foraging for food and can produce up to 220 pounds of [[Manure|dung]] per day.<ref name="WWF"/> It is a generalist feeder and both a [[Grazing|grazer]] and a [[Browsing (predation)|browser]]. In a study area of {{cvt|1130|km2}} in southern India, elephants were recorded to feed on 112 different plant species, most commonly of the order [[Malvales]], and the [[Leguminosae|legume]], [[Palmae|palm]], [[Cyperaceae|sedge]] and [[Graminae|true grass]] families. They graze on the [[Themeda|tall grasses]], but the portion consumed varies with season. When the new flush appears in April, they remove the tender blades in small clumps. Later, when grasses are higher than {{cvt|0.5|m}}, they uproot entire clumps, dust them and consume the fresh leave tops, but discard the roots. When grasses are mature in autumn, they clean and consume the succulent basal portions with the roots, and discard the fibrous blades. From the [[bamboo]]s, they eat seedlings, culms and lateral shoots. During the dry season from January to April, they mainly browse on both leaves and twigs preferring the fresh foliage, and consume thorn bearing shoots of [[acacia]] species without any obvious discomfort. They feed on the bark of [[Acacia suma|white thorn]] and other flowering plants, and consume the fruits of [[Limonia (plant)|wood apple]], [[tamarind]], [[Careya arborea|kumbhi]] and [[Phoenix (plant)|date palm]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sukumar |first=R. |year=1990|url=http://www.asiannature.org/pdf_resources/JournalofTropicalEcologyB1989.pdf|title=Ecology of the Asian Elephant in southern India. II. Feeding habits and crop raiding patterns |journal=Journal of Tropical Ecology |volume=6 |issue=6 |pages=33–53 |doi=10.1017/S0266467400004004 |access-date=4 March 2011|archive-date=12 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012123045/http://www.asiannature.org/pdf_resources/JournalofTropicalEcologyB1989.pdf }}</ref>

During a study in a tropical moist mixed deciduous forested area of {{cvt|160|km2}} in Assam, elephants were observed to feed on about 20 species of grasses, plants and trees. Grasses such as ''[[Imperata cylindrica]]'' and ''[[Leersia hexandra]]'' constituted the most predominant component of their diet.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Borah, J. |author2=Deka, K. |year=2008 |title=Nutritional Evaluation of Forage Preferred by Wild Elephants in the Rani Range Forest, Assam, India |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/28-41-Borah.pdf |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |issue=28 |pages=41–43}}</ref> In Nepal's [[Bardia National Park]], elephants consume large amounts of the [[Saccharum spontaneum|floodplain grass]], particularly during the [[monsoon]] season. They browse more in the dry season with bark constituting a major part of their diet.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Pradhan, N. M. B. |author2=Wegge, P.|author3= Moe, S. R.|author4=Shrestha, A. K. |year=2008 |title=Feeding ecology of two endangered sympatric megaherbivores: Asian elephant Elephas maximus and greater one-horned rhinoceros ''Rhinoceros unicornis'' in lowland Nepal |journal=Wildlife Biology |volume=14 |issue=14 |pages=147–154 |doi=10.2981/0909-6396(2008)14[147:FEOTES]2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

=== Social structure ===
[[File:Kui Buri National Park (Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand.jpg|thumb|Indian elephant herd in [[Kui Buri National Park]], Thailand]]

Indian elephants typically live in small herds consisting of related females, their female offspring and young immature males. The elephants are extremely social animals and form complex social relationships. They often work together as a group to raise their young and to protect the herd. While individual herds might not have a designated matriarch, older females will take on a more dominant role within the herd.<ref name=Smith/> A male elephant is typically encouraged to leave the herd once it reaches puberty which often happens between the ages of 8 and 13. This is a gradual process most of the time and is determined by the male's competitive and independent nature and the tolerance of the herd. Juvenile males tend to form loose herds while they typically become independent on ageing.<ref name=Smith/>

=== Communication and intelligence ===
{{see also|Elephant cognition}}
An elephant communicates using low-pitched sounds and [[infrasonic]] grunts or rumbles. Various sounds are produced that can communicate specific information to other elephants over long distances. A female make different calls and low-frequency vocalizations to warn of predators.<ref name=Smith/> An elephant has a developed [[olfactory]] system and is able to discern various scents. Wind-born scents can be sensed and used to communicate clues regarding the presence of other elephants or potential dangers. The trunk is also used for greeting other elephants and communication of emotions such as excitement, competition, dominance, discipline, reassurance etc.<ref name=Smith/> An elephant has a large brain which weighs between {{cvt|4-6|kg}}. It is a highly intelligent animal with a great capacity to learn new things. Much of elephant behavior is learned from the elders over the years rather than being instinctive.<ref name=Smith/>

=== Lifespan and mortality ===
Indian elephant has a lifespan between 40 and 65 years with some animals reported to have lived for more than 75 years.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/what-is-the-average-life-span-of-an-elephant/articleshow/2241228.cms|title=What is the average life span of an elephant? |date=2007|access-date=1 December 2023|work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> As per available evidence, an Indian elephant may typically live into their mid-50s, but there is no consistent data available to accurately estimate the lifespan of wild elephants. The median life expectancy for female elephants was estimated to be 47 years old.<ref name=Smith>{{cite web |url=https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/asian-elephant|title=Asian elephant |publisher=Smithsonian|access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> An adult elephant has no enemies in the wild, except for humans. However, young elephants are often susceptible to attacks by [[carnivorous]] predators such as [[Bengal tiger|tigers]] in the areas where their ranges overlap. When a predator is visible, elder members of the herd may emit warning calls that prompt the rest of the herd to group together for protection.<ref name=Smith/>

=== Reproduction ===
[[File:Mom N Me.jpg|thumb|An Indian elephant cow with her calf]]
A female produces various noises to indicate her presence and readiness to male bulls. An elephant can determine the identity, sex and reproductive status of another elephant using its trunks to smell the elephant's mouth, temporal gland, genitals, urine or dung.<ref name=Smith/> An Indian elephant reaches sexual maturity between 8 and 13 years of age but might not mate until later. While a female might bear calves starting a few years later, a male is unlikely to become a father until the 30s due to competition with older, larger males. An older male experiences a period of heightened sexual and aggressive activity called ''musth'', which is caused by the production of large quantities of [[testosterone]]. During the period, a green fluid secreted from the elephant's temporal glands drips from the penis. A female [[ovulation|ovulates]] once about every 115 days and if fertilized, the [[gestation]] period is about 22 months, the longest gestation period of any animal.<ref name=Smith/>

Most often, a female gives birth to a single calf (occasionally two might be born), which may weigh between {{cvt|68-158|kg}}.<ref name=Smith/> A calf is able to stand and nurse soon after birth and start to feed on solid food by six months. A calf will also eat its mother's dung for several years, which contain nutrients and symbiotic bacteria that aid in the digestion of plant food. A female might not give birth to another calf for an interval of three to eight years, depending on environmental conditions. A calf is [[weaning|weaned]] slowly and might often continue to be nursed by the mother until she delivers another calf or if it reaches puberty. While a male leaves its natal herd at sexual maturity, a female remain within the herd throughout its life.<ref name=Smith/>

== Status and conservation ==
[[File:Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) (7852943934).jpg|thumb|An Indian elephant foraging on a roadside]]
Since 1986, the Asian elephant has been listed as [[endangered species|Endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] as the wild population has declined by at least 50% over the last three elephant generations.<ref name="IUCN">{{cite iucn|title=''Elephas maximus''|name-list-style=amp |author=Williams, C.|author2=Tiwari, S. K.|author3=Goswami, V. R.|author4=de Silva, S.|author5=Kumar, A.|author6=Baskaran, N. |author7=Yoganand, K.|author8=Menon, V.|date=2020|article-number=e.T7140A45818198|doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T7140A45818198.en |access-date=6 June 2022}}</ref> The species is threatened by [[environmental degradation]], [[habitat loss]] and [[habitat fragmentation|fragmentation]], which are driven by an [[Population growth|expanding human population]] and in turn lead to increasing conflicts between humans and elephants when elephants eat or trample crops.<ref name=IUCN/> Significant extents of elephant range and suitable habitat has been lost with their free movement impeded by reservoirs and dams, [[hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] projects and associated canals, numerous pockets of cultivation and plantations, highways, railway lines, mining and other [[industrial development]].<ref name=Sukumar/> [[Poaching]] of elephants for [[ivory]] is a serious threat in some parts of Asia. Poaching of tuskers impact the sex ratios that become highly female biased and the [[genetic variation]] is reduced with a decline in [[fecundity]] and recruitment.<ref name=Sukumar/> In a study conducted at the [[Periyar Tiger Reserve]], Poaching has dramatically skewed adult sex ratios between 1969 and 1989 with the adult male:female sex ratio changing from 1:6 to 1:122.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Chandran, P. M. |year=1990 |title=Population dynamics of elephants in Periyar Tiger Reserve |pages=51–56 |journal=Proceedings of the Symposium on Ecology, Behaviour and Management of Elephants in Kerala |publisher=Kerala Forest Department}}</ref> In India, elephant mortality also occurs due to railway accidents with railway track running across elephant corridors. Elephants that pass through from one forest patch to another dash against the trains and die. In East India, a total of 39 dead elephants were reported during the period of 1958 to 2008, of which ten were reportedly killed between 2004 and 2008.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Roy, M. |author2=Baskaran, N. |author3=Sukumar, R.|year=2009|url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/31-36-39-Roy.pdf|title=The Death of Jumbos on Railway Tracks in Northern West Bengal |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group|issue=31 |pages=36–39}}</ref> Electrocution due to contact with electric poles and transformers has been reported as another major threat to elephants in India, with an estimated 461 elephants having been electrocuted between 2009 and 2017.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mother elephant uproots transformer that electrocuted her baby in Andhra |last=Umashanker |first=K. |date=2019 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/mother-elephant-avenges-calfs-electrocution/article28664480.ece |work=[[The Hindu]] |access-date=27 July 2019|archive-date=23 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723100414/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/mother-elephant-avenges-calfs-electrocution/article28664480.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/human-elephant-conflicts-power-poles-should-have-spikes-to-keep-away-jumbos-says-panel/article28701591.ece|title=Human-elephant conflicts: power poles should have spikes to keep away jumbos, says panel|last=Koshy|first=J.|date=2019 |work=The Hindu |access-date=27 July 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001942/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/human-elephant-conflicts-power-poles-should-have-spikes-to-keep-away-jumbos-says-panel/article28701591.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Elephant, Kok River, Chiang Rai, Thailand.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Captive Indian elephant in Thailand]]
In Bangladesh, forested areas that served as prime elephant habitat have undergone drastic reduction, which had a severe impact on the wild elephant population. Habitat loss and fragmentation is attributed to the increasing human population and its need for fuel wood and timber which results in [[illegal logging]] resulting in deforestation and habitat degradation. As a result of the shrinking habitat, elephants have become prone to coming into direct conflict with humans.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Islam, M. A. |year=2006 |title=Conservation of the Asian elephant in Bangladesh |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |issue=25 |pages=21–26 |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/25-21-Islam.pdf}}</ref> In Myanmar, demand for elephant ivory has led to poaching with [[ivory trade]] providing significant income. In the clandestine market, prices of raw ivory increased from $76 per kilogram in 1989–90 to over $200 per kilogram by the mid-1990s with foreign tourists often responsible for the demand which fuels the illegal killing of elephants. There is also a sizeable trade in ivory [[chopsticks]] and carvings, [[Wildlife trade#Illegal wildlife trade|smuggled]] by traders from Myanmar into China.<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Vigne, L. |author2=Martin, E. |year=2002 |url=http://www.asesg.org/PDFfiles/Gajah/21-85-Vigne.pdf|title=Myanmar's ivory trade threatens wild elephants |journal=Gajah: Journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group |issue=21 |pages=85–86}}</ref> Many elephants are also captured, raised in captivity and used for various purposes such as logging, tourism, religious festivals and show events.<ref>{{cite book |author=Sanderson, G. P.|year=1907 |title=Thirteen years among the wild beasts of India: their haunts and habits from personal observation: with an account of the modes of capturing and taming elephants |publisher=Asian Educational Services |location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-206-1464-2}}</ref> Young wild-born elephant calves are separated from their mothers in Myanmar for use in Thailand's tourism industry. The mothers are often killed in the process of capturing and the calves are placed alongside already captive unrelated cows. Then the calves are often subjected to a 'breaking in' process, which may involve being tied up, confined, starved, beaten and tortured, as a result of which two-thirds may perish.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/24/tourism-elephant-trade-burma-thailand|title=Tourism driving illegal elephant trade in Burma and Thailand |work=The Guardian |date=2012 |access-date=11 December 2016|archive-date=2 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202025152/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/jul/24/tourism-elephant-trade-burma-thailand|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Conservation ==
[[File:Indian Elephants.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|At [[Mudumalai National Park]]]]

The Indian elephant is a protected species under Schedule I of the Indian Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.<ref name="PE"/> [[Project Elephant]] was launched in 1992 by the [[Ministry of Environment and Forests]] of [[Government of India]] to provide financial and technical support of [[wildlife management]] efforts by the states. The project aims to ensure long-term survival of viable [[Conservation reliant species|conservation reliant]] populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and [[Wildlife corridor|migration corridors]].<ref name="PE"/> It also sought to enable various activities to address the issue of human-animal conflict, promote the welfare of elephants in captivity, support research of the ecology and management of elephants, creating [[Conservation movement|conservation awareness]] among local people and providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants.<ref name=PE/> As of December 2023, there are 33 notified elephant reserves in India, covering {{cvt|80778|km2}}.<ref>{{cite press release |title=33 Elephant Reserves established in 14 major elephant States |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1986211 |date=2013 |publisher=Government of India |access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://wiienvis.nic.in/Database/eri_8226.aspx|title=Elephant Reserves |publisher=ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas |access-date=18 April 2017 |archive-date=20 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520013620/http://wiienvis.nic.in/Database/eri_8226.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Culture ==
[[File:Ganesha_asianartmuseumsf.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Ganesha]]]]
{{see also|Cultural depictions of elephants}}

The Indian elephant is a cultural symbol throughout its range in Asia and appears in various [[Asian religions|religious traditions]] and mythologies. The elephants are treated positively and are sometimes revered as deities, often symbolizing strength, wisdom and good fortune.<ref>{{cite book|title= India - Mahabharata. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar Abroad 1994 (India) |first1=Carole|last1=DeVito|first2=Pasquale|last2=DeVito|publisher=United States Educational Foundation in India|year=1994|page=4}}</ref> It is revered as a form of [[Ganesha]] in [[Hinduism]]. Although Ganesha has many attributes, he is readily identified by his elephant head.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Martin-Dubost|first=Paul|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5DjAAAAMAAJ|title=Gaṇeśa, the Enchanter of the Three Worlds|date=1997|publisher=Franco-Indian Research|isbn=978-81-900184-3-2|pages=412–416}}</ref> It is also revered as a [[Ganesha in Buddhism|part]] of [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] pantheon of gods.<ref>{{cite book|author=Wayman, Alex|year=2006|title=Chanting the Names of Manjushri|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers|page=76|isbn=978-8-120-81653-4}}</ref> Elephants are often used as part of [[Hindu temple|temples]] and elaborate rituals. They form an important part of Hindu festivals like [[Dussehra]] and [[Pooram]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/pachyderm-paraphernalia-is-what-links-keralas-pooram-to-mysuru-dasara-2719372|title=Pachyderm paraphernalia is what links Kerala's Pooram to Mysuru Dasara|date=10 October 2023|access-date=1 December 2023|newspaper=[[Deccan Herald]]}}</ref>

In India, it has been designated the national heritage animal.<ref>{{cite news|title=Elephant declared national heritage animal|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/elephant-declared-national-heritage-animal/story-aSazcUQPTq24eqGEpe4OCO.html|date=22 October 2010|newspaper=[[Hindustan Times]]|access-date=5 June 2022|archive-date=6 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606215038/https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/elephant-declared-national-heritage-animal/story-aSazcUQPTq24eqGEpe4OCO.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It is the national animal of Thailand and Laos.<ref>{{cite web|title=Thailand at a Glance|url=http://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Thailand-at-a-glance.pdf|page=11|publisher=Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, DC|access-date=5 June 2022|archive-date=19 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619131828/http://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Thailand-at-a-glance.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Laos Fact Sheet|url=https://www.landmarkcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Laos-Activity-Sheets.pdf|publisher=Landmark Center|access-date=5 June 2022|archive-date=19 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619131742/https://www.landmarkcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Laos-Activity-Sheets.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The Indian elephant is also the [[List of Indian state symbols|state animal]] of the Indian states of [[Jharkhand]], [[Karnataka]], [[Kerala]] and [[Odisha]].<ref>{{cite web|title=State Symbols of India|url=http://www.wiienvis.nic.in/KidsCentre/state_symbols_india_8411.aspx|publisher=ENVIS Centre on Wildlife & Protected Areas|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415100206/http://www.wiienvis.nic.in/KidsCentre/state_symbols_india_8411.aspx|archive-date=15 April 2021|access-date=5 June 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Elephants in Kerala culture]]
* [[Elephants in Thailand]]
* [[List of individual elephants]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Elephas maximus indicus}}
{{Wikispecies|Elephas maximus indicus}}

* [https://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Elephas_maximus.html Animal Diversity Web: ''Elephas maximus'' Asiatic elephant]

{{Elephants}}{{Proboscidea}}
{{Symbols of India}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q591305}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mammals described in 1798]]
[[Category:Asian elephants]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bhutan]]
[[Category:Mammals of Myanmar]]
[[Category:Mammals of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Mammals of China]]
[[Category:Mammals of India]]
[[Category:Mammals of Laos]]
[[Category:Mammals of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Nepal]]
[[Category:Mammals of Thailand]]
[[Category:Mammals of Vietnam]]
[[Category:National symbols of India]]
[[Category:National symbols of Thailand]]
[[Category:National symbols of Laos]]
[[Category:Symbols of Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Elephants in India]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Georges Cuvier]]

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