Asian Elephants
Borneo Pygmy Elephant
Common Name: Borneo Pygmy Elephant
Scientific Name: Elephas maximus borneensis
Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Location: Sabah, Borneo (northeast tip of the island), Malaysia and occasionally into East Kalimantan, Indonesia
© A. Christy WILLIAMS / WWF-Canon
A 2003 DNA analysis carried out by WWF and Columbia University proved that the pygmy elephants were genetically distinct from other Asian elephants, thereby recognizing it as a subspecies. However, there is still debate among scientists if the Borneo Pygmy elephant is a subspecies endemic to Borneo. Some speculate the population originated from a herd of Javan elephants abandoned by the Sultan of Sulu in the 17th Century. Javan elephants are extinct on the island of Java.
More on the Ecology of the Borneo Pygmy Elephant
Physical Description
Borneo pygmy elephants are smaller and much less aggressive than other Asian elephants. The males may grow to less than 8.2 feet, while other Asian elephants grow up to 9.8 feet. They have rounder faces, larger ears, and longer tails that reach almost to the ground and are more rotund.
WWF Works to:
Until WWF began working in Borneo, no one had ever studied the pygmy elephant. As their habitat shrinks, they are forced into more frequent confrontations with humans over land and food.
In June and July 2005, the Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy program and WWF Malaysia carried out a study, led by Dr. Christy Williams and Raymond Alfred, which successfully attached satellite collars to five pygmy elephants in different herds in the Malaysian state of Sabah, a groundbreaking project to learn more about the elephants and their habitat. Read the study.
The collaring is part of the first scientific research ever conducted on this little-understood population. The preliminary data has already provided insight into the movement of these elephants and their use of the forests in Sabah. The information is being used by officials in Malaysia to help influence land-use decisions.
