Our mandate
The Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) is an integral part of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The AsESG shall provide the best available scientifically grounded evidence to the abundance, distribution, and demographic status of Asian elephant populations in all 13 range states. It shall periodically compile range-wide assessments which shall be publicly disseminated via the AsESG website and other outlets.
News & Calendar of Events
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- IUCN Red List Assessment of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) 2020: the global status of the species in the updated IUCN Red List is listed as Endangered (Williams et al., 2020)
- In Memoriam: Ajay Desai (1958- 20 Nov 2020), Conservation Legend
- Memories of Ajay Desai by AJT Johnsingh
- Mainland Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) enlisted in Appendix I of the Convention of Migratory Species at the CMS CoP13 meeting in Gandhinagar, India
Message from the Chair
The Asian Elephant

The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), the lone survivor of Genus Elephas, originated in Africa in the early Pliocene, over 5-6 million years ago and migrated to Eurasia... Read more
Gajah is the bi-annual journal of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG). The journal is intended as a medium of communication on issues that concern the management and conservation of Asian Elephants both in the wild and in captivity. It is a means by which members of the AsESG and others can communicate their experiences, ideas, and perceptions freely... Read more