The Asian Elephant, so long a central part of many Southeast Asian cultures, is in slow decline. Once used for timber extraction and other duties its place has been taken by tractors and bulldozers. In Thailand there are efforts to find new jobs for working elephants in the eco-tourism industry, and to carry forest rangers in protected forests.

Despite their huge size wild elephants are elusive, spending much of their time deep in the forests feeding on young palm and bamboo shoots and fresh leaves. In areas recently converted from forest to agricultural land herds of elephants create great damage to crops and fruit orchards in their search for food, especially bananas. Females are generally docile, but large males can be quite aggressive. Males have tusks up to 1.5 metres long. They are active by day and night, and are able swimmers.

The Asian Elephant ranges from India and Sri Lanka to Burma, Thailand, Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. Lack of space means they are absent in Singapore, though a few years ago a small group of young elephants swam from Malaysia to the Singapore island of Pulau Tekong, before being rounded up and sent back.
 

Tracks left by a juvenile male in soft, sandy soil - twice the width of a man's hand. Adult tracks can reach 50cm across.

An adult female browsing in dense secondary foliage. Panti Forest, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia.