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Saturday, August 30, 2008

Photo Gallery: Pygmy Elephants at Risk in Borneo

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Photo Gallery: Pygmy Elephants at Risk in Borneo

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Found only on the Southeast Asian island it is named after, the Borneo pygmy subspecies (far right) is slightly smaller than mainland Asian elephants (center), which stand 6.6 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 meters) at the shoulder and weigh 2.25 to 5.5 tons (2,041 to 4,990 kilograms) each. By contrast, African elephants stand 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 meters) tall and weigh 2.5 to 7 tons (2,268 to 6,350 kilograms).

The Borneo elephant has a shorter trunk, longer tail, bigger ears, and rounder face than its mainland Asian relatives.

WWF estimates the total Borneo pygmy elephant population at 15,000.

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—Illustration by Miranda Mulligan