The Sumatran elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant. Sumatran Elephants are the largest terrestrial animals of Indonesia. They are only found on the island of Sumatra. The skin coloration of the Sumatran Elephant is lighter than the other two subspecies of Asian Elephant. The female Sumatran Elephants hardly bear tusks unlike the female African Elephants.
Sumatran elephants feed on a variety of plants and deposit seeds wherever they go, contributing to a healthy forest ecosystem. They also share their lush forest habitat with several other endangered species, such as the Sumatran rhino, tiger, and orangutan, and countless other species that all benefit from an elephant population that thrives in a healthy habitat.
In the past 25 years, the Sumatran Elephant has lost an astounding 70% of its habitat to deforestation for palm oil plantations, agriculture and human settlements