20/04/2013
Wild Elephant Safari
EXPERIENCE SRI LANKA with Mark Gabrial Limited Destinations -Sri Lanka
00 94 7 1146 2238
00 94 7 7891 5299
[email protected]
[email protected]
Elephants hold aesthetic, cultural and economic importance in Sri Lanka. They are used for carrying timber and they have a special significance and role in religious events.
The Sri Lanka elephant is protected under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of Sri Lanka (FFPO), and killing it carries the death penalty. Elephants can be observed in protected areas such as Yala, Wasgomuwa, Udawalawe, Minneriya and Kaudulla.
Physical Description
The Sri Lankan species is the largest of the Asian elephant genus, and has patches of depigmentation (areas with no skin color) on its ears, face, trunk and belly.
Colour
This is the darkest of all Asian elephants.
Habitat & Ecology
The herd size in Sri Lanka ranges from 12-20 individuals or more, with the oldest female, or 'matriarch', leading the herd. In Sri Lanka, herds have been reported to contain "nursing units," consisting of lactating females and their young, and "juvenile care units", containing females with juveniles.
Breeding
Sri Lankan elephants do not exhibit a particular breeding season, and the period of gestation varies from 18 to 23 months.
Population & Distribution
The latest count places elephant population size in Sri Lanka between 3,160 and 4,405 individuals. Of these, between 2,000 and 2,870 are found in protected areas, however this is likely to be an underestimate. Captive elephants have declined to 400-600 individuals.
What are the main threats?
The threats facing Sri Lanka's elephants are common to all Asian elephants. Forest clearing for human settlements and agriculture is causing loss and increased fragmentation of elephant habitat in Sri Lanka - the population has fallen by almost 65% since the turn of the 19th century.
As a result of forest clearing, human-elephant conflicts have also increased and led to the death of both humans and elephants, and the destruction of property. The problem is compounded by the elephant's predilection for crops such as sugar cane, bananas and other fruits grown by humans.
During 1997, about 126 wild elephants were lost as a result of human-elephant conflict (a rate of about 2.4 elephants per week). Current recorded levels of mortality would indicate that about 6% of the animals in the wild are dying annually. Conflict between government troops and the Tamil Tigers in the North-eastern region has also put elephants in the cross-fire.
