Sri Lanka is one of the best destinations in the world to see elephants in their natural habitat. The 26 national parks covering 5,734 sqkm scattered throughout the country provide the best opportunity to see elephants.

Sri Lankan Elephants

Elephant, the largest living animal on land has two species.  They are African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). The African elephant population is larger than the Asian elephant population. The Asian elephant is considered as most endangered species. There are three subspecies in Asian elephants. The Sri Lankan elephants are closely related to the Indian elephant. However, the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) native to Sri Lanka is the largest of all the Asian elephant sub-species. Hence, Sri Lanka elephants are declared as a protected species in 1937, under the enactment of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

Physique

The Asian elephant has a huge body but ears that are smaller than their African counterparts. The tusk develops only with males. Full-grown male elephants in Sri Lanka are approximately 11.5 feet tall and weigh up to 5500kg (12,000 pounds.) The females are smaller by a couple of feet and several thousands of pounds. A long nose known as the trunk of an elephant is used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things—especially a potential meal. It has a rounder back, smaller ears and one lip on the tip of its trunk.  The tusks of an elephant used to dig for roots and water, strip bark from trees, and even fight each other.

Historical background

Elephants hold historical value in Sri Lankan culture and economy. Sri Lanka has a history of training elephants for religious, commercial and domestic purposes that dates back thousands of years. It is taken out in procession on special occasions such as Kandy Esala Perehara which is one of the most spectacular street parades. During the reign of the ancient Sri Lankan kings, elephants were tamed and used for massive construction works as well as warfares. 

According to the chronicle Mahawansa, the king Duttagamini (382-406) rode on an elephant called "Kandula" to fight with King Elara who too was mounted on an elephant named "Parwatha". Sri Lankan kings always rode on an elephant, called "Magul Etha". They were selected from the highest elephant caste called "chaddantha".

Population

There were nearly 12,000 elephants in Sri Lanka at the beginning of the 19th century, but today total is estimated to be about 4,200.  However, these numbers have been disputed as it is difficult to determine the number of forest-dwelling Sri Lankan Elephants. The decline in numbers by almost 65% is largely due to the expansion of agriculture to sustain an ever-growing human population. 

Behaviour

Elephants maintain the family unit led by a mature female.  They take care of weak and injured family members and grieve over a dead companion.   The baby elephants are closely attached to their mothers until maturity at the age of around 10 years. This gives a long training period for them to accustom to the new environment. Even though adult males (bulls) tend to roam on their own female elephants (cows) live in family herds with their young. The life span of Sri Lankan elephants is around 70 years. 

Sri Lankan elephants are very often confined to the same range of habitats for food. They only deviate from their used destination when the foods and water are not available for consumption. Water is a favourite of Sri Lankan elephants, and they like showering by sucking it into their trunks and spraying it all over themselves.

Foods

They are herbivores which mean that they consume plant life. They eat a wide range of vegetation including grasses, leaves, barks, fruits, nuts and seeds, in extremely large quantities from 300 to 600 pounds a day. They drink about 140 litres a day. The mother elephants are introduced to special plant life during pregnancy and she has to consume large amounts of foods to produce milk to nurse baby elephants.  

Habitat

The elephant population in Sri Lanka is restricted mostly to the lowlands in the dry zone with the exception of a small population in the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary in the Sabaragamuwa mountain range in the central hills. The prime locations are Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Wilpattu National Park and Minneriya National Park. Due to development activities, elephants lose their race.

Domesticated Elephants

The relationship between Sri Lankans and elephants are being very long and strong. The elephants have been domesticated for thousands of years in Sri Lanka. They played an important role in festival processions. Domesticated elephants have been employed to heavy works such as move objectives, carrying humans on their backs, and even waging war. With the introduction of modern heavy machinery, Sri Lankan Elephants are now being used for street pageants, ceremonies and tourism.

Human-Elephant Conflict

Recent research reveals that 70% of wild elephants range outside protected areas, thus increasing the chances of conformation and conflicts with people. Averagely 50 human and 150 elephant’s lives were lost every year due to these conflicts. (Wild Life, 1996-2008) As a result, the population of Sri Lankan elephants has decreased dramatically over the last five decades, owing primarily to habitat loss caused by deforestation and forest fragmentation.

You may like to know:

How I become an elephant lover

https://www.fantasiatours.com/blogs/view-blog/how-i-become-an-elephant-lover

Asian elephants against African elephants

https://www.fantasiatours.com/blogs/view-blog/asian-elephants-vs-african-elephants

Elephants in Sri Lanka

https://www.fantasiatours.com/blogs/view-blog/elephants-in-sri-lanka-elephas-maximus-maximus

Itineraries to see elephants:

https://www.fantasiatours.com/viewDetailedItinerary/51

https://www.fantasiatours.com/viewDetailedItinerary/56

https://www.fantasiatours.com/viewDetailedItinerary/50