Species in Nepal - Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

The intelligent giant in need of more habitat

The Asian elephant is the largest of all mammals in Nepal. Its shoulder height varies from 2.5-3 metres, and a male elephant can weigh up to 5 metric tonnes. Elephants have an excellent memory and a long lifespan: about as much as humans.

Elephants are very sociable. They live in groups of related animals, led by an old female. Members of the same group communicate a lot which each other, using sounds, scents and gentle touches. It is also now known that elephants frequently communicate with sounds that people cannot hear.

Elephants are capable of producing infrasonic sounds (low-pitched sounds that fall below the hearing range of humans) that are especially handy for communicating over long distances, since the lower-pitched the sound is, the further the sound waves can travel until they finally dies off.

The trunk, which is an elongated nose with nostrils situated at the very end, is a delicate tool. It can be used for a wide array of tasks, from moving heavy tree trunks to picking objects the size of a peanut.

In constant conflict with humans
The Asian elephant is endangered, mainly because of habitat loss: most suitable habitats have been turned into fields and human settlements. There are approximately 30,000 Asian elephants in the wild - less than one tenth the number of African elephants.

In addition, there are about 16,000 captive elephants throughout southern Asia, used as working animals. In the protected areas of Terai, tame elephants also have a key role in patrolling the areas and arresting poachers.