Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) at a conservation response unit.
Image: Hendrapictures, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Needs review — not found in IUCN's published checklist under this name (it carries species-level assessments only)Checked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28
Conservation overview
The Sumatran elephant is a subspecies of the Asian elephant found only on Sumatra. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
It has lost much of its lowland forest home to rapid land conversion.
Range & habitat
The island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Deforestation for plantations
- Human-elephant conflict
- Habitat fragmentation
Why it matters
A forest elephant that disperses seeds across Sumatra, the Sumatran elephant is a flagship for keeping the island's lowland forests intact and connected.
Sources
Sources for Sumatran Elephant
- IUCN Red List — look up Sumatran Elephant (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Sumatran elephant different from other Asian elephants?
It is a subspecies of the Asian elephant, generally smaller and restricted to the island of Sumatra, where it has suffered especially severe habitat loss.
Why is the Sumatran elephant Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite the loss of lowland forest to plantations, conflict with people, and habitat fragmentation. See the IUCN Red List.