The census comes at a critical time as Sri Lanka grapples with an escalating human-elephant conflict. The encroachment of commercial and agricultural development into elephant habitats has led to increased clashes between humans and elephants.
Sri Lanka has embarked on a comprehensive census to count its wild elephants, marking the first such effort in 13 years. The Department of Wildlife Conservation initiated the island-wide enumeration on Saturday, aiming to provide a current assessment of the nation’s elephant population amid growing conservation concerns.
The last census, conducted in 2011, estimated the wild elephant population at 5,879. However, since then, Sri Lanka has faced significant challenges, including high rates of elephant mortality due to gunshot wounds, electrocution, and collisions with trains. Government data reveals that the Anuradhapura District has experienced the highest number of tusker deaths.
Deputy Commissioner of Wildlife for the Anuradhapura Zone, Keerthy Chandraratne, disclosed that 1,310 officers will be deployed throughout the Anuradhapura Wildlife Zone for the census. Officers are stationed in forests and near water bodies, known habitats for elephants. Across the country, 3,130 survey centers have been set up, with the census expected to conclude on August 19.
The census comes at a critical time as Sri Lanka grapples with an escalating human-elephant conflict. The encroachment of commercial and agricultural development into elephant habitats has led to increased clashes between humans and elephants. This conflict is exacerbated by the shrinking of elephant habitats due to expansion in rice cultivation and other agricultural activities, particularly since the early 1980s under the Mahaweli River Valley irrigation program.
Shooting, habitat destruction
In addition to habitat loss, Sri Lanka’s leading Buddhist institutions have reported a shortage of ‘domesticated’ elephants during the peak perahera festival season, underscoring the impact of declining elephant numbers on cultural practices.
Sri Lankan elephants (Elephas maximus maximus), a subspecies of the Asian elephant, are now classified as endangered due to their rapidly diminishing habitat. Historically, the island’s elephant population was significantly larger. In the nineteenth century, during British colonial rule, it is estimated that around 14,000 elephants roamed Sri Lanka. However, extensive shooting and habitat destruction reduced their numbers drastically.
The Sri Lankan elephant population was approximately 19,500 in the early 19th century and saw a decline to around 7,000 to 8,000 by the 1920s. By 1969, numbers had dropped to between 1,745 and 2,455, and by 2011, the population had rebounded to 5,879. A 2019 estimate suggested a population of around 7,500, reflecting some recovery.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation has been proactive in managing the human-elephant conflict through measures such as erecting electric fences. These efforts aim to mitigate the dangers posed by elephants encroaching on human settlements and agricultural lands.
Despite these efforts, the ongoing expansion of commercial and agricultural projects continues to threaten elephant habitats. Many protected areas are small and fragmented, unable to support the extensive home ranges of elephants, leading to increased encounters with human populations.
Conflict with humans
The Sri Lankan elephant, noted for its larger size compared to other Asian elephant subspecies, is primarily found in the island’s dry zones, including national parks such as Udawalawe, Yala, Lunugamvehera, Wilpattu, and Minneriya. The population is now largely restricted to these areas, with a significant portion of their habitat lying outside protected zones.
Efforts to promote nature tourism using elephants have been ongoing, but the reduction in habitat and increased conflict with humans pose significant challenges to conservation efforts. The census aims to provide a clearer picture of the current population, informing future conservation strategies and policies.
As the census progresses, wildlife experts and conservationists hope it will lead to renewed efforts to protect Sri Lanka’s elephants and their habitats, ensuring that these majestic creatures can continue to thrive on the island.
Image: Wikimedia image
