Indian elephant

 Indian elephant  

The elephant is the national heritage animal of India. The Indian  Elephants are one of three Asian elephants that are now existing on earth. The population of this elephant had declined by approx.  50% during 1930 to 1940. So, this elephant had been listed as  Endangered species on the “IUCN Red List” in 1986. The scientific name of this elephant is ‘Elephas maximus indicus’.  

As compared to the African elephants, Indian elephants are somewhat smaller, have smaller ears, broader skull, and a larger trunk.  The back of this animal has a convex shape or level. The Tips of their trunks have finger-like functions and are used to grab things. The highest point of their body lies on their head. Their tusks are also long as compared to their females. The height of these elephants ranges from 2m to 3.5m and weights between 2 tons to 5 tons. The largest Indian elephant was named “Raja Gaj” which had a height of  3.43m and was very heavy and was spotted in 1985 in Bardia  National Park.  

Indian elephants are native to mainland Asia and hence it is generally found in India, China, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan, Myanmar,  Bangladesh, and some other neighboring countries. The major population of this animal is found mainly in India which is approx. 27  thousand in number according to 2017’s census. This number seems 

Insignificant but when it is compared with the previous populations then the rate of reduction of this elephant comes into the picture.  

There are many threats to the Indian elephants including degradation, habitat loss, Poaching, fragmentation, and some others.  The expansion of the human population has really affected the lives of these elephants in many ways. Due to the increase in the demand for food grains, humans have cleared the forests and now these elephants have very few areas to live in. Some people also hunt them for their ivory and sell them in the market for a greater price. The demand for these ivory has very great demand in various countries of the world. In Myanmar, the young elephants are removed from their mother for their use in tourism purposes and during this, their mothers are generally killed. It is also found that a significant number of elephants are dying every year due to electric shock when they collide with electric poles and transformers.  

These elephants can consume up to 120 kg of food each day. For the conservation of these elephants, the Government of India Ministry of  Environment and Forest launched a project named “Project  Elephant” in 1992. This project aims to provide financial and technical support to wildlife management. This project also supports the research of the ecology and management of elephants and creates awareness of conservation among local peoples.  

Elephants are the perfect example of a thing that is very hard from the outside but very soft from the inside. It is because elephants are very heavy and strong and can easily crush many animals below their feet but they are very kind-hearted. They do not cause any harm to anybody unless they are evoked to do so. They also play a  very important role in the ecology balance. Therefore, we must conserve this precious animal.  

Article by:- Abhas Raj