Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the world. Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya have absorbed over 2.5 million people as part of a government repatriation to relieve overcrowding on Java and other islands. There are plans to relocate an additional 65 million people over the next 20 years. The Sumatran elephant is the most endangered Asian elephant. The elephants in captivity are a significant portion of the total population and may be critical to its survival.
Elephants suffer from parasites, marginal nutrition, and wounds.
Some health problems are a direct result of training techniques. Most ECC veterinarians receive little or no elephant training. They have few resources for medical information and limited veterinary supplies. As a result, they are often poorly motivated and serve only brief terms. Economic crises in Indonesia and the current transition to a de-centralized government have seriously limited financial resources available to the centers.