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Syrian elephant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Syrian Elephant (Elephas maximus asurus) lived in Syria and Iran before becoming extinct at around 100 B.C. It is one of the largest elephants measuring 3.6 meters or more at the shoulder. The size of the Syrian Elephant allowed them to be used as war elephants, and were some of the best, considering their weight and massive bulk. When the Roman General Publius Cornelius Scipio (BC 185-129) invaded Carthage and defeated Hannibal at the Battle of Zama in BC 202, he found one of Hannibal's elephants and learned that is was known as "Sarus" which means "The Syrian." It was supposedly his best elephant.
Ancient Syrian craftsmen used the tusks of Elephas maximus asurus to make ivory carvings. In Syria, the production of ivory items was at its max point, during the first millenium B.C, when the Aramaeans made splendid ivory inlay for furniture. This overhunting of Syrian elephants for their tusks caused them to eventually become extinct in 100 B.C.