Foreword

Many tropical countries have been facing environmental crises directly or indirectly linked with losing their protective cover - tropical forests. Under the continuing process of forest degradation and deforestation in the tropics, one serious repercussion is seen in the habitat of natural flora and fauna. Experts have noted that the extinction rate of species has accelerated during last few decades, and more species are being driven to the brink of extinction due to this process.

Human beings stay on the top of the ecological pyramid, which is supported by many other plant and animal species, but our knowledge of its structures and functions remains very limited. Since food and materials that we consume everyday are obtained from the lower levels of this pyramid, the loss of any member species negatively affects a sound balance in the ecologically fabricated web and results in a malfunction of this system, potentially endangering the existence of human beings on planet Earth.

The Asian elephant, the biggest mammal on the Asian continent, has been recognized as a symbolic animal in Asian cultures. This fact is well illustrated in historical or religious documents, or in reliefs sculptured on the walls of ruins. In the present day, Asian elephants appear in magazines and tourism promotion pamphlets as an attractive feature. People like the Asian elephant. People know that the Asian elephant is the biggest wild animal that has been domesticated by man and working for man, because of its gentle, obedient and intelligent nature. Nevertheless, the real situation of the Asian elephant, especially the domesticated ones, is not well known. How many people know that the elephant species has been facing the brink of extinction?

This book addresses a wide range of subjects concerning the domesticated Asian elephants: how many there are, what traditions each country has, what kinds of relations exist between the wild and domesticated populations, what problems they are facing, and what we should do. This book presents not only good perspectives on these subjects, but also a real understanding of the domesticated Asian elephants. We hope that this book will help readers widen their understanding of the issues affecting domesticated Asian elephants, and be motivated to take action to improve their conservation and management. As such, it will also help improve the status of the wild Asian elephant.

This Asian elephant study was a joint effort of the Forestry Department of FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy, and the Forestry Department Group of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, initiated in May 1995. Mr. Richard Lair, the author, invested much time and effort to complete this study, which benefited from his genuine expertise accumulated during 20 years of experience. We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of two FAO forestry officers, Dr. Christian de Greling, former Wildlife and Protected Area Management Officer, Rome, and Mr. Masakazu Kashio, Regional Forest Resources Officer, Bangkok, who designed this study and achieved a remarkable result. Credit should also be given to Mr. Gilbert Child, former Wildlife and Protected Area Management Officer, Rome, and Dr. Y.S. Rao, the late Regional Forestry Officer, Bangkok, who commissioned a previous study on the same subject and laid the foundation for the current one. Many government officials, wildlife experts, and other FAO colleagues also extended their kind support to this study.