Asia’s wild elephant populations (Elephas maximus) have
declined dramatically over the last century in the face of poaching
and habitat destruction. The species is now close to extinction in
many areas where it was previously common.
No definite figure exists on the global
population size, but a qualified estimate from 1995 ranged from
34 500 to 51 000 animals.
In comparison, there
are approximately ten times as many elephants in Africa.
Over the last decade,
several populations of the Asian elephant have dwindled further,
and current population numbers may have fallen well below 1995
estimates.
Since 1986, the species has been
listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is included in Appendix I of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.