Why does the Houston Zoo want to breed Asian elephants?
There are less than 30,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild. Their numbers are in decline, due to habitat loss, conflicts with humans, and the illegal ivory trade. There are approximately 150 Asian elephants in AZA accredited Zoos. Unless more elephants are born to expand the domestic population and unless conservation efforts can halt the decline of the wild population, in less than 50 years we may not have any Asian elephants in the world.
