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  • Asian elephant

Asian elephant

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Elephants Of Asia
  • Quick Facts
  • Get to Know
  • Meet the Herd
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Quick facts

Lifespan

Lifespan

60-70 years in the wild, up to 80 years under human care

fruits

Diet

Mainly browse and grass. Often visit salt licks.

Habitat

Habitat

Grassland and forest, from sea level to 3,000 m asl

range

Range

Fragmented populations in tropical Asia

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The Asian elephants

Matriarchal society

Matriarchal society

Females form herds of related cows and their calves, led by a matriarch, which is usually the eldest. Bull elephants may join a herd short-term to mate.

All our elephants at the Zoo are females. Our current matriarch is Komali. She is our only Sri Lankan elephant (you can tell by the pink spots on her trunk and ears). The matriarch-in-training, Jati, has an even temperament. Gambir is our playful artist-in-residence. Sumatran elephants Intan and Aprila are the same age and half-sisters.
Communication in Sinhalese

Communication in Sinhalese

Our first elephant, Anusha, came from Sri Lanka on a steamer in 1973. She only understood Sinhalese and our keepers had to learn the language. Though Komali is the only Sri Lankan in our current herd the Sinhalese tradition continues to this day.

"Pijit" - meaning "stop it" - is one of the 18 verbal commands used. If you overhear it, it's probably because one of our elephants had been overly 'nosy' with her trunk!
Tell-'tail' signs

Tell-'tail' signs

The elephant’s trunk functions like a fifth limb. If any part of their bodies is hurting, the elephants might use their trunks or tails to soothe it. Our keepers keep a keen eye out for such tell-tale signs first thing in the morning, when the stables are cleared of food (and poop!) from the night before. Next up, the elephants get their daily full-body scrubs. This is another chance for keepers to check on their health while strengthening their bond with them.

Meet the herd

Getting around in the Zoo
Komali (The Matriarch)
Rules over her herd with an ‘iron’ trunk, keeping the younger elephants in their place. Very protective of those who’ve earned her trust – elephants and humans alike.
Getting around in the Zoo
Jati (BFF of the Matriarch)
Komali’s loyal sidekick, friend and protector. The bond between them is so strong that even if Komali moves a short distance away, Jati will start calling for her.
Getting around in the Zoo
Gambir (Pampered and Pampering)
Orphaned at the age of two, Gambir was cared for by Anusha, late matriarch of the herd. In the same way, Gambir now dotes on Aprila, as she would her own daughter.
Getting around in the Zoo
Intan (The feisty 'chilli padi')
Lone ranger, does not belong to any of the cliques in the herd. Stands her ground, even with Komali. Has a special soft spot for Aprila, her younger half-sister.
Getting around in the Zoo
Aprila (Always gets her way)
Intan's unofficial boss/alpha sibling. Also has the backing of self-appointed mother figure, Gambir. Has a voracious appetite – ‘vacuums’ all leftovers.

Together, we protect wildlife

Elephant response units

Elephant response units

We provide key support for the mitigation of human-elephant conflicts (HEC)  in Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia. To mitigate HEC, Elephant Response Units (ERUs) of trained elephants and their mahouts form forest patrols, herding wild elephants away from farmland and back to the protected areas.

The IUCN Status

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.

DD

Data Deficient

Unknown risk of extinction

LC

Least Concern

At relatively low risk of extinction

NT

Near Threatened

Likely to become vulnerable in the near future

VU

Vulnerable

At high risk of extinction in the wild

EN

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild

CR

Critically Endangered

At extremely high risk of extinction in the wild

EW

Extinct in the Wild

Survives only in captivity

EX

Extinct

No surviving individuals in the wild or in captivity

Special Experiences

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Elephant Feeding

Elephants Of Asia 9:30am, 11:45am & 4:30pm

Grab a basket of our elephants’ favourite treats and come face-to-trunk with our herd. Marvel as these gentle giants stretch their trunks out to take the treat from your hand.

Buy Feeding Session

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Every visit to our parks comes with

Every visit to our parks comes with
Find out how, together, we're creating a better future for wildlife and the planet.

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