Title
The Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan (MECAP), 2018-202
Author(s)
Hedges, Simon; Leimgruber, Peter; Lynam, Antony; Mar, Daw Khyne U.; Riddle, Heidi; Thaw, U. Win Naing; Tyson, Martin
Published
2018
Abstract
While Myanmar’s wild elephant population is relatively small at maybe 2000 individuals, a great deal of elephant habitat remains in the country. There is, therefore, a great opportunity for the country’s wild elephant population to grow very significantly and become perhaps the largest in Southeast Asia—provided Myanmar’s elephants and elephant habitat are well protected and managed wisely. Myanmar also has a long and proud history of managing elephants in captivity as working animals and has therefore a vast repository of knowledge about captive elephant husbandry. Finally, Myanmar is in the unique position of having many more captive elephants (some 5000) than wild elephants and this brings both challenges and opportunities. For example, some of Myanmar’s captive elephants are thought to be suitable for experimental reintroduction back into the wild and Myanmar could become a world leader in such ‘re-wilding’.

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