Why are baby elephants like Khao Tom being abandoned in Thailand?

Calves may be abandoned due to congenital disorders, maternal stress, or threats to the herd's safety, exacerbated by habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict.

What is causing the rise in elephant herd-calf separations in Asia?

Shrinking habitats, increased human-elephant conflict, and fragmentation of elephant ranges are primary drivers causing herds to separate from their young.

How does human-elephant conflict affect elephant herds?

Conflict near farms and villages can disrupt elephant movement, divide social groups, and trigger stress, leading to calves becoming separated from their mothers.

Home / Environment / Baby Elephant's Plight Highlights Asian Herd Crisis

Baby Elephant's Plight Highlights Asian Herd Crisis

2 Jan

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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.

Baby Elephant's Plight Highlights Asian Herd Crisis

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.