Over the last 100 years, the number of wild Asian elephants has declined from over 100,000 to between 35,000 and 50,000, thereby listed as Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Why are the wild Asian elephants declining in numbers so rapidly?

This is because the wild Asian elephants suffer severe habitat loss in some of the most densely human-populated regions on the planet. With no access to their natural habitat, elephants are forced into deadly confrontations with humans where neither species wins. In addition, Asian elephants are poached for their ivory tusks which results in the dwindling of its population, thereby making them more vulnerable to genetic degradation. They are also being captured from the wild and traded or sold into profitable industries.

Read More: Habitat Loss, Human-Elephant Conflict, Illegal Hunting and Trade, Genetic Threat, Capture of Wild Elephants