HUMAN ECONOMY & ELEPHANTS

Elephants have been working animals used in various capacities by humans. However, elephants have never been truly domesticated, the male elephant in his periodic condition of musthis dangerous and difficult to control. Therefore elephants used by humans have typically been female. Seals found in the IndusValley suggest that the elephant was first domesticated in ancient India.It is generally more economical to capture wild young elephants and tame them than breeding them in captivity.

Elephants have been used as warelephants, and only the male elephant could be used in war because female elephants in battle will run from a male. A large elephant in full charge usedas war could cause tremendous damage to infantry and cavalry horses would be afraid of them .

War elephants were used by :

• Armies in the Indian sub-continent, the Warring States of China, and later by the Persian Empire.
• Hellenistic armies after Alexander the Great experienced their worth against king Porus, notably in the Ptolemaic and Seleucid diadoch empires.
• The Carthaginian general Hannibal took elephants across the Alpswhen he was fighting the Romans.

Elephants have been used as industrial elephants. Throughout Siam,Indiaand most of South Asia elephants were used in the military for heavy labour, especially for uprooting trees and moving logs,and were also commonly used as executioners to crush the condemned underfoot.

Elephants have also been used as mounts for safari-type hunting,especially Indian shikar ( mainly on tigers ), and as ceremonial mounts forroyal and religious occasions, whilst Asian elephants have been used for transport and entertainment, and are common to circuses around the world.Elephants are also commonly exhibited in zoos and wild animal parks.

Posted in: elephant,veterinary