Status: Critically Endangered
Scientific Name: Elephas maximus sumatranus
Number Left: 2,400 - 2,800
The Sumatran Elephant shares an environment with several other endangered species, including the Sumatran rhino, tiger, and orangutan. Sumatran elephants play a vital part in maintaining ecosystems, as they feed on a variety of plants and deposit the seeds as they travel. Herds can be found in the the broadleaf, moist tropical forests of Borneo and Sumatra.
After half its population was lost in one generation, the Sumatran Elephant's status was changed from "endangered" to "critically endangered" in 2012. Rapid human development has lead to the deforestation of the Sumatran Elephant's home. Because humans are quickly encroaching on this land, there has been much human-elephant contact, often resulting in elephant deaths. While Sumatran Elephants tend to have smaller tusks than other species, they are still subject to poaching as well.
