Resources

Elephants and the Smithsonian: Considering Culture and Conservation

Across the Smithsonian today, we acquire and maintain collections that help us better understand elephants as well as the significance of ivory across human history. We are committed to the conservation of Earth’s biodiversity and to preserving global cultural heritage.

Smithsonian resources about elephants and extinct elephant relatives

Exhibitions:

• Game Change: Elephants from Prey to Preservation [Smithsonian Libraries]
• This Mastadon is a Centerpiece of an Art Exhibition. Why? [Smithsonian Magazine]
• Ivory [National Museum of African Art]

Webcast:

• Forgotten Elephants of Deep Time [National Museum of Natural History]

Elephant care and science [National Zoo]:

• Asian Elephant Fact Sheet 
• Field in Focus: Saving Elephants in Myanmar: an in-depth look at tracking, poaching and human-elephant conflict, featuring 3 videos, photos, articles and more 
• A Day in the Life of an Elephant Keeper 
• Science project pages, featuring an overview of what our scientists are working on with elephants:
  • Tracking
  • Reproduction
  • EEHV research
• Elephant personality testing