World’s Smallest Elephants Now Endangered: Bornean Elephants Added to IUCN Red List

• Bornean elephants, the smallest living elephants, are now classified as Endangered by the IUCN
• Recent research confirms these unique elephants as a distinct subspecies, Elephas maximus borneensis
• Only about 1,000 Bornean elephants remain, threatened by habitat loss, poaching, and human conflict

A unique form of the Asian elephant, the Bornean elephant, has been officially classified as Endangered and added to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. This recognition follows decades of debate over their status and comes as a crucial step in galvanizing conservation efforts.

The IUCN Red List serves as a global barometer of biodiversity, informing and catalysing action for conservation. The newly added Bornean elephant, distinct for its smaller size and wider face, has been confirmed as a unique subspecies of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) and at just 2.5 meters tall are the smallest living elephants.

First named in 1950, the status of Bornean elephants has been a topic of scientific debate, limiting the protections afforded to them. However, recent research led by Professor Adrian Lister from London’s Natural History Museum has provided concrete evidence of their distinctiveness.

Professor Adrian Lister, a leading paleobiologist at the Natural History Museum has been working on the classification of the species for some time. By comparing the skulls of over 120 Asian elephants from the Museum’s collection, Lister and his team discovered that Bornean elephants are smaller and have wider heads than their relatives, as well as a narrower gap where the trunk would be. These details, when combined with genetic studies, confirmed the Bornean elephants as a distinct subspecies.

Currently, only about 1,000 Bornean elephants remain living primarily in the Malaysian State of Sabah, with a small population in the Indonesian State of Kalimantan. These elephants face significant threats from habitat loss due to logging and the expansion of oil palm plantations, as well as poaching and human-wildlife conflict.

Vivek Menon, Chair IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG), said, “I am pleased that key members of the AsESG have catalysed the listing of the Bornean elephant on the IUCN Red List for the very first time. This range-restricted taxon has never been listed before and this assessment of its threat should spur its conservation by Malaysia and Indonesia and direct conservation focus to it in terms of resources and science.”

The team’s research indicates that around 60% of their forest habitat has been lost in the last 40 years, leading to fragmented populations and increased conflicts with humans. The recognition of Bornean elephants as a separate subspecies brings international attention to their plight and boosts efforts to protect them.

Professor Adrian Lister said, “Conserving biodiversity means conserving natural variation at all levels – not only different species but also unique populations within species. The distinctiveness of the Bornean elephant in both appearance and genetics warrants its recognition as a separate subspecies.

“Elephants are a keystone species, playing a crucial role in maintaining the health of rainforests. By conserving these elephants, we’ll be protecting many other species and the broader ecosystem.”

To ensure the survival of these unique elephants, comprehensive conservation strategies are essential. Protecting and expanding their forest habitats, creating wildlife corridors through oil palm plantations, and implementing anti-poaching measures are crucial steps. Additionally, working with local communities to minimize human-elephant conflicts is vital.

Professor Jon Paul Rodríguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission comments: “A fundamental role of the IUCN Red List is to inform extinction risk at the national level, or at the level of a subpopulation of a species whose status might not be the same as the global population or other subpopulations. Geographic variations in extinction risk are central to assessing Green Status, a recently adopted protocol for refining key conservation interventions across a species’ range.

“As countries gear up to meet their commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, detailed local assessments, such as the Borneo population of Asian elephants, contribute valuable case studies to learn from and replicate.”

Dr Cheryl Cheah of WWF-Malaysia emphasized the critical role this classification plays: “The inclusion of Bornean elephants on the Red List is pivotal in galvanizing conservation efforts and directing resources to areas of utmost importance.”

It is thought that the Red List status of Bornean elephants will help to raise awareness giving hope that the Bornean elephants’ story will be one of recovery and resilience, securing a future for these remarkable creatures and the biodiversity of their forest home.

Notes to editors

The Red List Assessment was undertaken by the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission, under the chairmanship of Dr Vivek Menon of the Wildlife Trust of India. Other participants were:

·       Dr Marc Ancrenaz, Hutan, Malaysia.

·       Dr Cheryl Cheah, World Wildlife Fund, Malaysia

·       Dr. Pritiviraj Fernando, Centre for Conservation and Research, Sri Lanka

·       Prof. Benoit Goossens, Sabah Wildlife Dept, Malaysia, and Cardiff University, UK

·       Prof. Adrian Lister, Natural History Museum, UK

·       Dr Elizabeth McLean, Independent Researcher, UK

·       Dr Nurzhafarina Othman, Project Seratu Aatai, Malaysia

·       Dr Wishnu Sukmantoro, Forest and Wildlife Society, Indonesia

·       Dr T.N.C. Vidya, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, India

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