The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to Sri Lanka. Since 1986, "Elephas maximus" has been listed as endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, estimated to be 60–75 years. The species is pre-eminently threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation.
Similar species: Elephants
By Mahesh
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Uploaded May 18, 2015. Captured in B499, Sri Lanka.
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"Thirteen countries still have populations of Asian elephants: the Indian elephant is found on mainland Asia in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, Laos, and the very southern tip of China bordering the latter two. The Sri Lankan and Sumatran elephant of Indonesia are restricted to their respective islands. Elephants are also found on the island of Borneo. The range of the Asian elephant once extended as far west as Syria and Iraq east through Asia south of the Himalayas, into southern China and south to Java: the Syrian elephant disappeared more than 2,000 years ago, while the Chinese elephant became extinct even earlier." (http://www.elephantfamily.org/what-we-do/about-the-asian-elephant/)
Posted 10 years ago