Facts about Asian Elephant IUCN Status Endangered Population in India : 26000 - 29000 Diet : Grass, twigs, bark, shoots, woody plants, herbs and shrubs. 250-300 kg each day Lifespan : 60 years Elephant Reproductive age : 14 years Gestation period : 18-22 months Height: 9 ft Weight - Calf: 100 kg at birth; Adult female: 2500-4500 kg; Adult male: 3000-6000 kg Elephant habitat : Wide range, prefers grass-rich, dry and moist deciduous habitats Interesting facts Extremely intelligent, can mimic and use tools Needs upto 200 litres of uncontaminated and potable water every day Shade is essential as it prevents dehydration Only the male Asian Elephant has tusks. The exceptions are makhnas, who are tusk-less males Uses trunk as tactical contact and for holding Digestion efficiency is only 40%, feeds constantly to compensate An elephant herd is led by the senior female, who is also called the 'Matriarch' India has a history of captive elephants that dates back to 1000s of years Has no sweat glands, tosses mud on itself and uses large ears as fans to keep cool Migration : Matriarch remember migratory routes clearly. Fragmentation of habitats and obstruction of migratory routes lead to human-elephant conflicts. More than 100 elephants get killed every year in retaliation by people and several others by poaching Not all elephants forage on crops. Alternate cropping and temporary elephant-proof barriers (during crop ripening) can be installed to reduce incidents Human deaths happen mostly due to surprise encounters or going too close to elephants. Early warnings and avoiding elephants can prevent such incidents Deforestation, expansion of agriculture, human encroachment are causing human-elephant conflict Dos and Donts with elephants If you encounter elephants in your area, the following are the Dos and Donts to follow. Dos Slow down as soon as you see elephants. Maintain a safe distance as they may charge, if they feel threatened Make a loud noise using drums to drive them away if they are an immediate threat to life, property and crops Stop your vehicle at a distance from elephants if they are crossing a road and reverse your vehicle slowly to allow them to pass Be vigilant during dusk and dawn and drive slowly in areas where elephants might be present Use thorny bushes as fences and create trenches around farms to prevent elephants from entering farmlands Remove ripened fruits from trees that may attract elephants If elephants are present near your house and show threatening behaviour, slowly retreat inside the house and give them space to move away If you spot an elephant in a human use area, call the helpline numbers of the forest department Donts Don't try to take a selfie or close-up photograph of an elephant or try to feed it Don't chase them as they may charge back at you Don't use high beam lights. Don't switch the engine off as you may have to reverse the vehicle and retreat if an animal charges at you Don't ignore warning signage that provides warnings about sensitive spots Don't leave your farm with standing crop unguarded Don't store groceries and rations outside house or in mud houses. Store grains etc. in pakka houses Don't open doors or come out of the house at night if elephants are present near the house Always keep a record of movement-information related to elephants provided by the forest department and avoid areas where elephants are present Source : Indo-German Biodiversity Programme Related resources Guidelines for Mitigating Human–Elephant Conflict