{"id":3730,"date":"2025-07-09T15:58:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T22:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?p=3730"},"modified":"2025-07-30T23:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-31T06:13:00","slug":"meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Borneo Pygmy Elephant: The Baby-Faced Gentle Giant of the Rainforest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-62acfc78787eab323e3b6e4f27b586b4\">When you hear the word \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/giants-of-the-savannah-and-jungle-african-vs-asian-elephants\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1521\">elephant<\/a>,\u201d you probably think of towering tusks, thunderous footsteps, and powerful herds roaming the savanna. But deep in the lush rainforests of Borneo lives a rare, smaller cousin that flips that image on its head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Borneo pygmy elephant<\/strong> (<em>Elephas maximus borneensis<\/em>) might be the most adorable \u2013 and mysterious \u2013 elephant species on Earth. With oversized ears, chubby bellies, and a gentle demeanor, they look like they\u2019ve stepped out of a children\u2019s book\u2026 but their story is anything but simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">So, What Is a Pygmy Elephant?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Borneo pygmy elephant is a subspecies of the <a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/giants-of-the-savannah-and-jungle-african-vs-asian-elephants\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1521\">Asian elephant<\/a>, found only on the island of <strong>Borneo<\/strong>, primarily in the Malaysian state of Sabah and parts of northern Kalimantan in Indonesia. Despite their name, these elephants aren\u2019t <em>tiny<\/em> \u2013 just <strong>smaller<\/strong> than their mainland cousins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Height<\/strong>: 7\u20138 feet at the shoulder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight<\/strong>: Around 6,000 pounds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lifespan<\/strong>: Up to 60 years in the wild<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s not just their size that sets them apart. Pygmy elephants have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rounder faces<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Longer tails that often reach the ground<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Straighter tusks<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Docile, easygoing temperaments<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re sometimes called the \u201cteddy bears\u201d of the elephant world and it shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Forest-Dwelling Enigma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike their savanna-dwelling African relatives, Borneo pygmy elephants live in <strong>dense tropical rainforest<\/strong>, where they travel in family groups through narrow jungle trails in search of food and water. They eat <strong>over 150 species of plants<\/strong>, including wild bananas, bamboo, fruits, grasses, and tree bark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These elephants play a vital role in their ecosystem as <strong>seed dispersers<\/strong>, helping to maintain the biodiversity of the rainforest. Wherever they go, they leave behind fertilized seeds and trampled paths that benefit other wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where Did They Come From?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where things get mysterious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some scientists believe pygmy elephants have been isolated on Borneo for <strong>over 300,000 years<\/strong>, evolving separately from mainland Asian elephants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others suggest a more recent origin: that they\u2019re descendants of <strong>elephants gifted to the Sultan of Sulu in the 1600s<\/strong>, which were later released into the wild. Genetic studies suggest the long-isolated theory may be correct, but the debate isn\u2019t settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Either way, they\u2019ve been in Borneo long enough to develop their own look, behavior, and ecological role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gentle Giants\u2026 in Trouble<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite their charm, Borneo\u2019s pygmy elephants are <strong>endangered<\/strong>, with estimates suggesting <strong>fewer than 1,500 remain<\/strong> in the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their biggest threats include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Deforestation<\/strong> from palm oil plantations and logging<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Habitat fragmentation<\/strong>, which blocks their traditional travel routes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human-elephant conflict<\/strong>, especially as elephants wander into farmland<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Poaching<\/strong>, though less common, still occurs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When forest corridors are lost, elephant families are cut off from food sources and breeding partners and that spells trouble for long-term survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conservation Efforts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Efforts are underway to protect the pygmy elephant, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Creating wildlife corridors<\/strong> to reconnect fragmented habitats<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tracking and research<\/strong> to better understand their movements and needs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community-based conservation<\/strong> that helps farmers coexist with elephants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eco-tourism programs<\/strong> that support local economies while raising awareness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Borneo pygmy elephant is proof that not all elephants stomp and trumpet their way through life. Some prefer the shadows of ancient forests, where they quietly browse, raise their calves, and shape the jungle in gentle, important ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re rare. They&#8217;re vulnerable. And they remind us that even the \u201csmallest\u201d giants deserve our attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fun Fact<\/strong>: A pygmy elephant calf is born weighing around <strong>200 pounds<\/strong>, but within minutes, it can stand and walk, ready to follow its mother through the jungle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d09ae040099f11c6fb83cb5d6ec1c836\">Ready to meet more miniature marvels? Stay tuned as we continue our journey through the world\u2019s tiniest and rarest wild creatures. Up next: take a look back at our post on the fierce kitten-sized predator known as the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-rusty-spotted-cat\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1887\">rusty-spotted cat<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More photos below \u2193<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<!-- banner ad -->\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2571651847880215\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"7178535257\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:69.85090%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3731\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,597\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973-300x199.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3731\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"900,597\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973-300x199.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 6 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"597\" data-id=\"3731\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3731\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg\" data-width=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/borneo-pygmy-elephant-tony-camacho-4192184973.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:30.14910%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3732\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/elephant_kinabatangan-river-june2016www-dreameratheart-org_-1997387074\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1400,1205\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Allison Browne&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-300x258.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3732\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/elephant_kinabatangan-river-june2016www-dreameratheart-org_-1997387074\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1400,1205\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Allison Browne&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-300x258.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 6 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1400&#038;ssl=1 1400w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1205\" data-id=\"3732\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3732\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg\" data-width=\"1400\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Elephant_Kinabatangan-River-June2016www.dreameratheart.org_-1997387074-1024x881.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3733\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephant\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1714\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pygmy elephant\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3733\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephant\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1714\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pygmy elephant\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-300x201.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 3 of 6 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1714\" data-id=\"3733\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3733\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg\" data-width=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-1024x685.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:27.61161%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3734\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3734\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1200\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-300x225.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 4 of 6 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1600&#038;ssl=1 1600w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"1200\" data-id=\"3734\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3734\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg\" data-width=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephant-facts-1-3211652060-1024x768.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:31.06876%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3735\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1705\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3735\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-scaled.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2560,1705\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-300x200.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-1024x682.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 5 of 6 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-1024x682.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-1024x682.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 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src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pygmy-elephants-borneo-island-590-338327027-1-1024x682.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\" style=\"flex-basis:41.31963%\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"3736\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1800,900\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800&amp;#215;900-993119927\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-300x150.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3736\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/meet-the-borneo-pygmy-elephant-the-baby-faced-gentle-giant-of-the-rainforest\/pygmy-elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1800,900\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800&amp;#215;900-993119927\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-300x150.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 6 of 6 in full-screen\"srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"900\" data-id=\"3736\" data-link=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/?attachment_id=3736\" data-url=\"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg\" data-width=\"1800\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927-1024x512.jpg?ssl=1\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Disclaimer:<\/strong>&nbsp;This blog post is for edutainment purposes only and may not be entirely accurate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you hear the word \u201celephant,\u201d you probably think of towering tusks, thunderous footsteps, and powerful herds roaming the savanna. But deep in the lush rainforests of Borneo lives a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[44,26,42,73,95,31],"class_list":["post-3730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animal-bytes","tag-african-animals","tag-animal-facts","tag-conservation","tag-elephants","tag-endangered-animals","tag-wild-animals"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Pygmy-Elephants-scaled-1800x900-993119927.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3730"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3737,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3730\/revisions\/3737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalpages.com\/animals\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}