Although the elephant has finally secured a place on the Red List, the question is whether it is not already too late.
The island of Borneo is home to many special animals, of which the Bornean elephant is undoubtedly one. They have broader faces and are smaller in size than other Asian elephants. They are also slightly smaller than the African forest elephant, at only 2.5 meters tall, making them the smallest living elephant species. Unfortunately, disagreement over their status as a subspecies has led to limited conservation efforts. For while scientists debated their proper classification, their habitat was being destroyed by logging and the development of oil palm plantations.
Doubt
Traditionally, Asian elephants are divided into three subspecies: the Sumatran, Sri Lankan and Indian elephants. But for a long time there was doubt about the status of the Bornean elephant. Some experts thought they belonged to the Sumatran subspecies, while others proposed several other classifications. “In 1950, a Sri Lankan scientist named Paulus Deraniyagala described many different subspecies, including the Bornean elephant,” explains researcher Adrian Lister. “At the time, everything that deviated slightly from the main species was designated as a subspecies, something we are much more careful about nowadays. Although many of these subspecies have not achieved widespread acceptance over the past 70 years, the status of the Bornean elephant has remained a matter of debate. I felt it was important to conduct an objective study to provide tangible evidence.”
Study
Adrian and his team combed through museum collections to conduct research. They compared skulls from over 120 Asian elephants from different parts of their range. This research included over 30 skulls from the Natural History Museum, including the specimen originally used to describe the Bornean elephant.
Differences
Their analysis shows that the Bornean elephant has a smaller and wider skull compared to other Asian elephants, as well as a narrower opening where the trunk is located. Furthermore, previous genetic studies have shown that Bornean elephants differ from other Asian elephants. They are said to have split off in the past 300,000 years, although it remains unclear how they ended up on the island. The researchers are convinced that these findings together form a strong argument for naming these animals as a separate subspecies.
Subsoort
Classifying the Bornean elephant as a subspecies may seem unimportant at first glance. But it does have an impact on the way these elephants are treated. As a distinct subspecies with a unique evolutionary background, there is now greater incentive to protect the population. The world’s smallest living elephant now finally has a place on the Red List International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) obtained.
Endangered
In short, after decades of debate over their status, the study has now provided compelling evidence that Borneo’s mini elephants are a distinct subspecies, justifying their inclusion on the Red List as endangered. But the question is whether this classification does not come too late. Due to deforestation, poaching and human-wildlife conflict, it is estimated that only a thousand of these elephants remain. Moreover, the new study shows that their population has declined sharply, especially in the past 75 years. They are now only found in less than half of the area they inhabited decades ago.
Become extinct
It means that this newly confirmed elephant subspecies is already at risk of extinction. However, the scientists who conducted the assessment for the Red List hope that this move will lead to more support for the endangered mammals. “As a distinct subspecies, these animals are unique to the island of Borneo and an important part of our natural heritage,” said WWF’s Cheryl Cheah. “The addition of Bornean elephants to the Red List is an essential step to strengthen conservation efforts. Their status as ‘endangered’ highlights the urgency of concerted conservation efforts to reduce human-elephant conflict and prevent further habitat loss and fragmentation. It is crucial to address these issues effectively to ensure their continued existence.”
Saving the Bornean elephant from extinction is of great importance. And not just to ensure their own survival. It will also help protect the wider biodiversity and ecosystems on the island. “Elephants are essential in the rainforests because they disperse seeds and create open spaces,” Lister explains. “They also need a large habitat, so by protecting these elephants, we are also protecting many other species and the entire ecosystem.” The researchers therefore argue for the protection of the forests in which the elephants live and for connecting these forests with other forest areas. This could mean diverting roads or creating wildlife corridors through oil palm plantations so that animals can move freely. The necessary steps to protect the Bornean elephant are feasible, the researchers emphasize, but only time will tell whether this will actually be successful.