Elephant
In 2008, the IUCN listed the Asian elephant as endangered due to a 50% population decline over the past 60–75 years while CITES lists the species under Appendix I. Asian elephants once ranged from Syria and Iraq (the subspecies "Elephas maximus asurus"), to China (up to the Yellow River) and Java. It is now extinct in these areas, and the current range of Asian elephants is highly fragmented. The total population of Asian elephants is estimated to be around 40,000–50,000, although this may be a loose estimate. It is likely that around half of the population is in India. Although Asian elephants are declining in numbers overall, particularly in Southeast Asia, the population in the Western Ghats appears to be increasing.
Really Wild Animals
The immense continent of Asia is explored. With such a large area to cover, this episode jumps from one place to the next. Examples include the Indonesian islands, the Arabian Peninsula, Indian jungles, and Chinese mountains. Some of the featured animals in these locations are the sea snake, the Arabian oryx, the dhole, the proboscis monkey, the tiger, the Asian elephant, the orangutan, the white-bellied sea eagle, and the giant panda. The difference between myth and reality is put to the test in uncovering the lifestyles of all these creatures.