Syrian Elephant

The Syrian elephant or Western Asiatic elephant (Elephas maximus asurus) is a subspecies of Asian elephant and is the westernmost population of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), living throughout Arabia and southeastern European countries, although its population is also spreading towards Africa. It is the largest of any Asian elephant subspecies, growing to about the size of an African bush elephant due to many predators of its range. Like all Asian elephants, females Syrian elephants are social animals and live in herds lead by elderly females, while males are normally solitary animals other than during breeding seasons, when males experience musth, where males get extremely aggressive towards non-elephant animals. The conservation status of Syrian elephants is Near Threatened due to poaching, however, this subspecies of Asian elephants is the least threatened Asian elephants due to strong conservation efforts and their population is quickly recovering and growing.