August is Asian Elephant Awareness Month, which was created to highlight the plight of Asian elephants and the critical need to save them in the wild. 

There are fewer than 50,000 elephants remaining throughout Asia and all are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. They live in 13 countries across South and Southeast Asia and southern China in diverse habitats including grasslands, scrublands, and evergreen and deciduous forests. 

Threats Asian Elephants Face

Whether in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Laos, Malaysia, Vietnam, or other Asian nations, these beleaguered elephants face many threats including loss of habitat and fragmentation due to human incursion and development. As elephants are pushed out of their ancient grazing lands, the incidents of human/elephant conflicts increase, leading to the deaths of both humans and elephants. Asian elephants are also under threat from poaching and the illegal wildlife trade for tusks and other body parts.

Zoos Confine Elephants; They Don’t Conserve Them 

Zoos exploit the threats to elephants by claiming that they help sustain elephant populations by confining these mammoth animals for life in tiny barren zoo exhibits, as we highlight on our 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list. Zoos disguise reality by throwing elephant birthday parties that hide the dark truth that elephants cannot express their natural innate behaviors in zoos. They are condemned to live in spaces so small that this confinement leads to brain damage, as seen by their profound zoochotic behavior. Do a quick search online for Asian Elephant Awareness Month, and a bevy of zoo celebrations will appear. Zoos from Portland to Houston are using this month to showcase their Asian elephant populations. The Oregon Zoo is promoting it to draw crowds for Asian elephant Samudra’s 15th birthday in August. Samudra has never had a chance to roam in his native ancestral land, he has been cooped up his entire life, a pawn in the zoo’s breeding plan.

Solutions Exist to Save Asian Elephants 

Organizations are working to conserve habitats where elephants live in Asia. Others are engaging with local villagers to create innovative ways to coexist with elephants. Ethical elephant tourist facilities and sanctuaries provide lifetime care and freedom from exploitation. 

Elephants are invaluable contributors to preserving the natural world. As seed dispersers, they are gardeners of the Earth and they dig water holes that help other species to survive. This August, we honor Asian elephants for their many contributions to the planet and advocate for their right to live as they were born to: wild and free.

You Can Help

Take action by calling, signing, and sharing our alert to free suffering Asian elephants Billy and Tina from the Los Angeles Zoo and our other alerts on behalf of elephants. If you have a bit of extra time, find out more about elephants in Asia and Africa. Donations to support our work on behalf of elephants are always needed and deeply appreciated.