Sumatran elephant

[ soo-mah-truhn el-uh-fuhnt ]

noun

1. an Asian elephant subspecies ( Elephas maximus sumatranus ), native to Sumatra and classified as critically endangered: compared to its related subspecies, it has lighter skin, with less depigmentation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sumatran elephant¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Sumatra, home to six critically endangered, iconic mammalian species found nowhere else—the Tapanuli orangutan, the Sumatran orangutan, the Sumatran tiger, the Sumatran rhinoceros, and the Sumatran elephant—has lost more than 80% of its lowland forests since the 1990s, to make room for pulpwood and oil palm plantations.

From Science Magazine

JAKARTA, Indonesia — A pregnant Sumatran elephant was found dead of suspected poisoning near a palm plantation in Indonesia’s Riau province on the island of Sumatra, officials said Friday.

From Washington Times

A critically endangered baby Sumatran elephant has died after losing half its trunk to a trap set by poachers.

From BBC

The Sumatran elephant is considered a critically endangered species due to rapid rates of deforestation in its natural habitat of Borneo and Sumatra.

From BBC

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, has raised the status of the Sumatran elephant from endangered to critically endangered in its 2012 Red List, mostly because of a significant drop in the population as indicated by the loss of over 69% of its potential habitat in the last 25 years — the equivalent of one generation.

From Seattle Times