BORNEO PYGMY ELEPHANT

The Borneo Pygmy Elephant

Smaller and more docile than other Asian elephants, Borneo pygmy elephants have a reputation for being gentle giants — and scientists suspect they may be victims of their own success. Some researchers believe they descended from domestic elephants that were released into the wild centuries ago and gradually shrank through a process of island dwarfism.

Borneo pygmy elephants are threatened by the same forces destroying all of Borneo's wildlife: palm oil plantations, pulp and paper operations, and logging. These activities have destroyed most of the lowland forest that pygmy elephants prefer, pushing them into higher, less suitable habitat. They're also frequently in conflict with humans — elephants that raid crops are often shot or poisoned.

The Borneo pygmy elephant population is estimated at around 1,500, down from perhaps 10,000 a century ago. They're classified as Endangered, but population trends suggest they're still declining.