Where to see the Asian Elephant
Elephas maximus · mammal · Elephantidae
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) is recorded in 51 protected areas and wildlife sites across 9 countries in our database. The places with the strongest evidence are Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (India), Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (India) and Royal Manas National Park (Bhutan).
Where is the best place to see the Asian Elephant?
Based on GBIF records and our guides, the best-documented places to see the Asian Elephant are Anaimalai Tiger Reserve (India), Parambikulam Tiger Reserve (India) and Royal Manas National Park (Bhutan). Most sites are in India (17), Nepal (9) and Sri Lanka (8). It appears in 8 trip reports in our library.
Top 25 places for the Asian Elephant
| # | Place | Country | GBIF records | Years | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anaimalai Tiger Reserve | India | 650 | 1999–2026 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 2 | Parambikulam Tiger Reserve | India | 99 | 2005–2026 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 3 | Royal Manas National Park | Bhutan | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 4 | Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary | Bhutan | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 5 | Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary | India | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 6 | Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary | India | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 7 | Kuala Tahan National Park | Malaysia | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 8 | Krau Wildlife Reserve | Malaysia | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 9 | Belum Temenggor Forest Reserve | Malaysia | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 10 | Endau-Rompin National Park | Malaysia | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 11 | Royal Bardia National Park | Nepal | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 12 | Shuklaphanta National Park | Nepal | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 13 | Parsa Wildlife Reserve | Nepal | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 14 | Yala Strict Natural Reserve | Sri Lanka | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 15 | Wilpattu National Park | Sri Lanka | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 16 | Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home | Sri Lanka | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 17 | Kumana National Park | Sri Lanka | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 18 | Mae Wong National Park | Thailand | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 19 | Yok Don National Park | Vietnam | – | – | Reported by our guide |
| 20 | Parambikulam Tiger Reserve ESZ (Proposed) | India | 28 | 2006–2026 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 21 | Udawalawe National Park | Sri Lanka | 24 | 2006–2024 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 22 | Chitwan National Park | Nepal | 21 | 1996–2025 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 23 | Mudumalai National Park | India | 21 | 2008–2025 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 24 | Yala National Park | Sri Lanka | 20 | 1994–2025 | Recorded on GBIF |
| 25 | Yala Strict Nature Reserve | Sri Lanka | 18 | 1994–2025 | Recorded on GBIF |
26 more places in the interactive map.
By country
India: 17, Nepal: 9, Sri Lanka: 8, Malaysia: 7, Thailand: 3, Bhutan: 2, Indonesia: 2, Cambodia: 2 and Vietnam: 1.
Seen on trips
The Asian Elephant is recorded in these trip reports:
- Sabah Birding Trip Report: Bristleheads & Broadbills 2026 — Wise Birding Holidays
- Thailand Deep South Mammal Watching Trip Report 2025: Banded Linsang and Bats —
- Nepal Birding Trip Report, April 2019: Wise Birding Holidays — Wise Birding Holidays
- Bhutan Birding Trip Report, March to April 2018: Tropical Birding — Tropical Birding
- Way Kambas and Gunung Leuser Mammal Watching Trip Report 2015 — Jon Hall (mammalwatching.com)
- Western Ghats and Mumbai Mammal Watching Trip Report 2011 — Jon Hall (mammalwatching.com)
- Sigiriya Mammal Watching Trip Report, Sri Lanka 2010 — Jon Hall (mammalwatching.com)
- Huai Kha Khaeng and Mae Wong Mammal Watching Trip Report 2007 — Jon Hall (mammalwatching.com)
Tours that have recorded it
- Birding the Land of the Thunder Dragon (Bhutan) — Wise Birding Holidays
- Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon — Tropical Birding
In our guides
Read the full species account in our Singapore guide, Sri Lanka guide, Malaysia guide, India guide.
Take it with you
Build a free printable field guide or e-book for any of these places, with photos and a checklist.
Make a field guide for Anaimalai Tiger ReservePhoto: Morten Ross, CC-BY.
GBIF downloads: India, Bhutan, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia.
Data last updated 2026-11-05. Species–place links come from GBIF occurrence downloads (GBIF.org) matched to protected-area boundaries from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL) and other open boundary sources, plus places listed by our own guides. Record counts are what has been reported to GBIF, not population sizes. Reptiles and amphibians are never shown at park level. How this database works · Data sources and limits.