It is because that the forests have been logged regarding extension of dwelling and agriculture. Traditional migration routes for elephants have been destroyed. Therefore do elephants attach crops, which leads to violated clashes between elephants and humans.
Photo: Asian elephant.
Asian elephants in the wild are being poisoned by plantation workers, shot by angry farmers, and killed for their meat, hide and tusks. Train and road collisions have also resulted in accidental deaths of elephants.
In 1997, Sri Lanka lost 126 wild elephants caused by conflicts with humans. And opposite: elephants in Asia kill hundreds of people every year, with up to 300 deaths in India alone, according to reports. One of the greatest threats currently facing mankind is the loss of species.
Many things threaten the survival of elephants. The major threat is poaching for the ivory. This is not only of concern for the people in Asia, but also for all people around the world who care about wildlife.
How to preserve the wildlife in Asia? The flow of accurate information on the status of species is critical to their survival. I hope someone will come up with some good answers and that action will be taken.
Stein Morten Lund, 12th December 2000
Additional information and links
WWF - World Wide Fund - For Nature is the world's largest and most experienced independent conservation organization. http://www.wwf.org/
Other reports about preserving the wildlife: http://www.panda.org/
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