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The significance of the Asian elephants is now unequivocally established. The elephant is often popularly dubbed as a 'keystone; 'flagship; and 'umbrella' species as well as an important symbol of the planet's heritage. Notwithstanding the significance, this valuable mammal, the largest living land animal on the planet, has dwindled dramatically in the recent years primarily due to anthropogenic disturbances. The Asian elephants are found in 13 different countries in Asia. Currently, there are less than 50,000 elephants present in their natural habitat and near about 16,000 in captivity. The status of the Asian elephant is even more threatened in Bangladesh and the species has been enlisted by IUCN (2000) as 'Critically Endangered: In the mid of the twenty first century, there were more than 500 elephants present in their natural habitats, but recent estimates suggest that the number is no higher than 220 in the wild.
