Ritesh Joshi, Kanchan Puri and Abhishek K Singh

Elephants are crucial for maintaining forest ecosystems. There are two distinct types of elephants: the African elephant (Loxodonta) and the Asian elephant (Elephas). The only living species of Asian elephant, Elephas maximus, is found across Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia. This species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The social structure of elephants is matriarchal, meaning the oldest female typically leads the group. Unlike the females, male elephants start a solitary life as adolescents, dispersing from their natal matriarchal family between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Male elephants leave their natal family units when they are on the threshold of sexual maturity and wander on their own or seek the company of other male elephants. The evolutionary reason for the male’s departure from their family may be to avoid inbreeding, and genetic research has shown that males do avoid breeding with close maternal and even paternal female relatives (Elephant Voices 2022). According to Raman Sukumar’s (renowned Indian ecologist) study, male elephants do not show interest in caring for infants because they cannot…read more on NOPR