Bornean Elephant: Smallest Yet Endangered Keystone of Borneo
Discover the urgent challenges and remarkable uniqueness of Borneo’s smallest elephants, endangered and vital to rainforest health.
Bornean elephants (Elephas maximus borneensis) are the smallest living elephants, officially recognized as a distinct endangered subspecies in 2024. With only about 1,000 individuals left, they face grave threats from habitat loss, poaching, and human conflict, putting one of the world’s most unique rainforest keystones at risk.
New scientific classification and their inclusion on the IUCN Red List mark a critical turning point for their protection, catalyzing global conservation efforts and drawing attention to the urgent need for action in Borneo’s rich, yet imperiled, ecosystems.
Understanding Bornean Elephants
- Size: Just 2.5 meters tall, making them the world’s smallest living elephants.
- Distinct Features: Smaller bodies, wider faces, and a narrower gap where the trunk attaches compared to other Asian elephants.
- Genetic Uniqueness: Recent studies confirm them as a unique subspecies within Asian elephants.
- Habitat: Mainly found in Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) and in small populations in Kalimantan (Indonesia).
These elephants play a crucial ecological role, acting as keystone species by dispersing seeds and maintaining the health of tropical rainforests.
Why Bornean Elephants Matter
Borneo’s tropical rainforests are among Earth’s most biologically diverse ecosystems, home not only to Bornean elephants but also pygmy elephants, Sumatran rhinos, orangutans, and clouded leopards. The elephants support ecosystem health, promote forest regeneration, and ensure habitats for countless other species. Their loss would have cascading effects across the entire region.
Current Threats Facing Bornean Elephants
- Habitat Loss
- Over the past 40 years, more than 60% of their forest habitat in Sabah has been lost due to logging and expansion of oil palm plantations.
- Large blocks of forest, essential for their survival, have been fragmented.
- Encroachment by commercial plantations isolates subpopulations, reducing genetic exchange and resources.
- Human-Elephant Conflict
- Forest depletion brings elephants frequently into proximity with people, raising incidents of crop raiding and property damage.
- Many elephants now spend significant time in plantations, risking injury from snares and increased confrontation.
- Illegal snares, originally set for small game, injure about 20% of elephants in some areas.
- Poaching and Wildlife Crime
- Recent years have seen a deadly surge in elephant killings, including brutal poaching incidents.
- Orphaned calves are often separated from their herds due to human conflict.
Table: IUCN Elephant Conservation Status Categories
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| EX – Extinct | No reasonable doubt that the last individual has died |
| EW – Extinct in the Wild | Known only in cultivation, captivity, or as a naturalised population |
| CR – Critically Endangered | Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild |
| EN – Endangered | High risk of extinction in the wild |
| VU – Vulnerable | High risk of extinction in the wild |
| NT – Near Threatened | Likely to qualify for a threatened category soon |
| LC – Least Concern | Does not qualify for threatened categories |
Bornean elephants are currently listed as Endangered (EN), facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
The Importance of Scientific Recognition
- The scientific classification of Bornean elephants as a distinct subspecies was achieved after decades of debate, led by researchers at the Natural History Museum in London.
- Examination of over 120 Asian elephant skulls confirmed unique skeletal and genetic traits.
- This classification unlocks global conservation funding and attention, prompting national-level protections and refined strategies for their survival.
Professor Adrian Lister, a leader in this research, advocates that conserving biodiversity means protecting both species and unique populations — Bornean elephants are a clear example of the need to preserve variation within species.
Conservation Strategies and Actions
- Habitat Protection & Restoration
- Creating and expanding protected areas to maintain large blocks of forest for elephants and other threatened wildlife.
- Establishing wildlife corridors, particularly through palm oil plantations, to reconnect fragmented habitats.
- Restoring degraded forests and reforesting cleared areas to increase available habitat.
- Combatting Poaching & Wildlife Crime
- Strengthening anti-poaching enforcement and prosecution.
- Deploying rapid-response teams and veterinary support to rescue injured elephants.
- Enhancing monitoring to identify and remove illegal snares.
- Promoting Human-Elephant Coexistence
- Working with local communities to resolve conflict, such as supporting crop insurance and using deterrents to prevent elephant crop raiding.
- Educational campaigns to raise awareness on elephant conservation and humane prevention tactics.
- Research and Data Collection
- Continual monitoring of elephant populations, movements, and threats.
- Genetic studies to safeguard diversity and inform breeding programs.
What others are reading
International and multi-stakeholder collaboration is critical, involving policymakers, plantation owners, conservationists, and local communities.
Recent Conservation Initiatives
- Bornean Elephant Action Plan Symposium
- Convenes government, NGOs, plantations, and local communities to coordinate protections and share best practices.
- Focuses on urgent priorities: fighting poaching, enhancing veterinary care, and restoring critical habitat.
- Connecting Plantations
- Collaborative efforts among plantation owners to create safe corridors through agricultural land.
- Global Advocacy
- The 2024 IUCN Red List inclusion brings Bornean elephants to the forefront of international conservation agendas.
- Mobilizes financial, scientific, and political support for the species.
Challenges Ahead
- Maintaining Population Viability
The small estimated population (1,000–1,500 individuals) faces risks from genetic bottlenecks, disease, and fragmented habitats. - Balancing Economic Development
Conflict arises from the tension between forest preservation and lucrative industries, especially palm oil cultivation. - Resolving Human-Elephant Conflict
Innovative solutions are needed to reduce crop damage and prevent elephant injuries from snares, while fostering empathy and cooperation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Why are Bornean elephants considered unique?
A: They are the smallest living elephants, with distinct genetic and physical traits setting them apart from other Asian elephants.
Q: What is their main habitat?
A: They primarily inhabit the forests of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, with smaller populations in Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Q: How many Bornean elephants remain in the wild?
A: Estimates suggest fewer than 1,500 remain, with many sources reporting only about 1,000 individuals left.
Q: What are the biggest threats?
A: Habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching are the greatest dangers to their survival.
Q: What is being done to protect them?
A: Conservation actions include habitat restoration, anti-poaching initiatives, community education, and scientific monitoring, often coordinated by international and local partners.
How You Can Help
- Support international conservation organizations focused on Bornean elephants.
- Advocate for sustainable palm oil and forest-friendly products.
- Raise awareness of their plight to amplify the urgency of protection.
- Encourage policymakers to strengthen protections and resources for endangered species in Southeast Asia.
Conclusion
With distinctiveness in both genetics and appearance, Bornean elephants are now officially recognized as an endangered subspecies. They face severe threats from habitat fragmentation, poaching, and human conflict—but their importance as a keystone species heightens the stakes for conservation. Comprehensive strategies and collaboration across sectors offer hope for their survival, but the clock is ticking. Preserving Bornean elephants means safeguarding one of Earth’s richest rainforests and its irreplaceable biodiversity.
References
- https://www.nhm.ac.uk/press-office/press-releases/world-s-smallest-elephants-now-endangered–bornean-elephants-add.html
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bornean-elephant
- https://www.oregonzoo.org/news/zoo-convenes-action-imperiled-elephants
- https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/uniting-plantations-to-save-bornean-elephants-interview-with-farina-othman/
- https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/07/checking-in-on-oregon-zoos-efforts-to-help-save-the-endangered-bornean-elephant/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo_elephant
- https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/13/think-out-loud-north-america-bornean-elephant-chendra-oregon-zoo-portland/
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