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Baby Elephant's Plight Highlights Asian Herd Crisis
2 Jan
Summary
- Abandoned calves in Asia show a significant rise in recent years.
- Habitat loss and human conflict stress elephant herds.
- Mothers may abandon calves under stress or to protect the herd.
A young elephant calf, Khao Tom, recently rescued in Thailand, has garnered public attention while bringing to light the escalating challenges faced by Asian elephant herds.
Data indicates a significant rise in reported cases of lost or abandoned elephant calves across South and Southeast Asia, from an average of two per year between 2015 and 2022 to fourteen in 2025. This increase is partly attributed to shrinking and fragmented habitats, pushing elephants closer to human settlements and increasing conflict.
While elephant mothers typically invest heavily in their young, stress, perceived threats to the herd's safety, or the mother's death can lead to calves being left behind. Such incidents, like Khao Tom's, underscore the precarious future of these animals as their environments continue to change.
