Asian Elephant Eilifint Áiseach
IUCN status Endangered
Habitat India, Sri Lanka and east as
far as Sumatra
– dry and wet forests and plains
Diet Herbivore – grasses, bamboo,
legumes, succulent climbers, creepers, palms, bark
It is estimated there are less than 42,000 Asian elephants
remaining in the wild and they have
virtually disappeared from south-west Asia and China.
Wild herds are made up of females led by a matriarch and
are only joined by males when they are ready to breed.
Compared with African elephants, the Asian species has
smaller ears (shaped rather like India!), its head
is higher than its shoulder, its trunk has only one finger-like
bump at the end as opposed to two, and it has four toenails
on its hind feet.
Did you know?
An elephant’s trunk is formed from the nose and
upper lip. It is used for breathing, smelling, touching,
communicating, washing, dust-bathing, picking up objects,
eating and drinking!
