Elephants — India, Asia & Southeast Asia

Elephants hold a significant cultural and ecological importance in India, Asia, and Southeast Asia. In India, elephants have been revered for centuries and have played crucial roles in religious ceremonies and festivals. However, the historical use of elephants in logging, transportation, and as war animals has contributed to their domestication and altered their natural behaviors. Across Asia and Southeast Asia, elephants face various threats, primarily driven by habitat loss due to urbanization, agriculture expansion, and deforestation. Poaching for ivory and other body parts, as well as the capture of wild elephants for the tourism industry, further endangers their populations. Human-elephant conflict is a pervasive issue as expanding human settlements encroach upon traditional elephant habitats, leading to conflicts that harm both human communities and elephant populations.