Elephant Cam

Watch the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Asian elephants — Spike, Bozie, Kamala, Swarna, Maharani, Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh — both inside the Elephant Community Center and outside in their yards.

The Zoo's Elephant Trails exhibit — where visitors can experience the sights, sounds and smells of the multi-generational herd — is the cornerstone of the campaign to save this endangered species from extinction.

Animal Cam Bingo Cards

Download the Animal Cam Bingo Cards (link opens in new window). These activities are designed to engage learners of all ages in looking closely and thinking deeply about animal behavior and habitats. Welcome to the wild side of learning!

Latest Elephant News

Asian elephant Spike shows off his newly trimmed tusks in the Elephant Barn.

How Do You Trim An Elephant’s Tusks?

December 20, 2023

Our male Asian elephant, Spike, looks a little different. The 42-year-old bull recently underwent a routine tusk trim! Get the story from curator Tony Barthel.

Asian elephants Nhi Linh and her mother Trong Nhi.

Getting to Know Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh

August 11, 2023

They’re spunky, opinionated and enjoy splashing in a cool pool on a hot summer day. Who are these playful pachyderms? Our Asian elephants, Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh! Get to know their personalities and quirks from Elephant Trails keepers Rebecca Riley and Ashley Fortner.

Asian elephant Nhi Linh is pictured standing next to a cube puzzle feeder.

Watch Asian Elephant Nhi Linh Play

February 02, 2023

Tune in to the ele-FUN! Watch our 9-year-old Asian elephant, Nhi Linh, play with a weeble-wobble enrichment toy.

More News

Sign Up for Emails

Asian elephant ›

The largest living land mammals, elephants are intelligent, social and vital to their ecosystems.

Elephant Trails ›

Elephant Trails is more than an exhibit; it is also an extensive conservation program built on decades of science. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s rich history of caring for and studying Asian elephants spans more than a century.

Fun Facts About Asian Elephants

1889

The year the first two Asian elephants, named Dunk and Gold Dust, arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

30,000-50,000

The total remaining population of Asian elephants in the wild.

6,000-12,000

The average weight, in pounds, of an adult Asian elephant.

Between 100 and 125 pounds

The average amount of food each elephant eats per day at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. A typical daily diet may include two and a half bales of hay (each bale weighs about 45 pounds), 8 pounds of elephant chow (alfalfa pellets), 2 pounds each of bran and oats, and 10 pounds of fruits and vegetables, including sweet potatoes, carrots and apples.

Get another fact