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Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri Lanka [2015]

34 images Created 24 May 2018

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The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is listed as “endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and it is believed only between 2500-4000 remain in the wild, a population drop of approx. 50% in the past 60-75 years.

According to IUCN, “The species was once found throughout Sri Lanka, but today elephants are restricted mostly to the lowlands in the dry zone…the species continues to lose range to development activities throughout the island.”

Sri Lanka is one of the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots and is an important example of the struggle developing nations have with exploitation of their natural resources, at the cost of precious endemic fauna and flora.

sean-gallagher-sri-lanka-elephantsThe clearest example of this is in the increase of human-elephant conflict which is claiming the lives of approximately 50 people and 100 elephants each year across the country.

As habitat fragmentation occurs, due to deforestation for tea plantations, agriculture, new development projects, small-scale farming etc., wild elephant herds are increasingly venturing into human settlements to find food. In these situations, conflict inevitably occurs and as elephants contribute in destroying local people’s crops, they are often killed as pests, or hunted in revenge and killed.

Deforestation and habitat fragmentation over many decades, during and since colonial rule, have pushed the two groups closer together, increasing conflict dramatically.

Historically, Sri Lanka has had a deep connection with the elephant. It is an animal that is both revered in culture and religion, but is now becoming a symbol of conflict in this fast-changing post-war developing nation.
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  • A security guard stands watch over an array of elephant tusks in the Gangaramaya temple in Colombo. One of Sri Lanka's most important Buddhist sites, large amounts of ivory are on display, signifying the historical importance of decorative ivory for religion in the country
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  • Ornaments made of ivory sit in a display in the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.
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  • Elephant display at Colombo Zoo, Sri Lanka.
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  • Elephant display at Colombo Zoo, Sri Lanka.
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  • Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-006.JPG
  • Tourists walk through the Horton Plains National Park which is one of the highest points in Sri Lanka. Historically, elephants used to roam the highland forests until they were cleared to make way for agricultural land which was later abandoned.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-001.JPG
  • A mahout beats an elephant at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
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  • A mahout cleans elephants at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
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  • An emaciated elephant at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
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  • The temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine town in Kandy, the second biggest city in Sri Lanka.
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  • A young elephant at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
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  • Tourists visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-010.JPG
  • Deforestation is most evident in the patchwork of forests that can be found over many of the mountains. Habitat fragmentation has been one of the main challenges to the dwindling wild elephant populations across the island.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-014.JPG
  • Deforested mountains in the central highlands of Sri Lanka.
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  • A depiction of an elephant in a wall at the temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine town in Kandy, the second biggest city in Sri Lanka.
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  • A wild elephant near Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
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  • Orange trees are used as a way to deter grazing elephants near Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
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  • A villager cutting trees for firewood. This activity is legal, as long as wood is only being used for this purpose. It is a pressure on the forest however and local villagers know that every time they go into the forest, there is a chance they will run into a wild elephant. As the Sri Lankan elephant's habitat has been slowly eroded, potential human-elephant conflicts have increased markedly across the country.
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  • A wild elephant in the Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-020.JPG
  • A warden watched for elephants near the Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-021.JPG
  • A warden from the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society looks out of a treehouse, watching and monitoring wild elephants.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-019.JPG
  • EM Podimaneke, 49, stands outside her home where an elephant killed her husband in June 2013. Human-elephant conflict has increased as the animals habitat becomes smaller due to deforestation and habitat fragmentation. It is estimated that around 50 people are killed by elephants each year in the country, while over 100 elephants are also killed as farmers try to protect their land.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-022.JPG
  • Elephant footprints near the Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-025.JPG
  • Dump site near Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-023.JPG
  • Elephant footprints near the Wasgamuwa National Park in central Sri Lanka, famed for its wild Asian elephant populations.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-024.JPG
  • Minneriya National Park, in North Central Sri Lanka, famed in Asia as a gathering place for wild Asian Elephants.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-027.JPG
  • Young elephants in the Minneriya National Park, in North Central Sri Lanka, famed in Asia as a gathering place for wild Asian Elephants.
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  • An elephant in the Minneriya National Park, in North Central Sri Lanka, famed in Asia as a gathering place for wild Asian Elephants.
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  • Wild Sri Lankan elephants search for food in a dumpsite on the outskirts of a small town bordering the Wasgamuwa National Park. As their habitats become more fragmented, wild elephants are increasingly forced to venture into human populations where conflict occurs.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-026.JPG
  • Tress burning in a forest in Sri Lanka. Habitat fragmentation caused by small scale farming and logging is one of the biggest threats to the Sri Lankan elephant's survival and is increasing the occurrence of human-elephant conflict in the country.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-031.JPG
  • In the ruins of the ancient city of Polonnawura, built in the 12th Century as Sri Lanka's second official capital, a nearly 1000 year old sculpture of an elephant serves as part of an elaborate staircase. The Sri Lankan elephant has been an important part of the island's culture and religions for thousands of years and continues to be so in modern times.
    Sri-Lanka-Elephant-15-20-030.JPG
  • Tea plantations in the mountains of central Sri Lanka.
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  • Piles of logs in a timber yard in Sri Lanka.
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  • A tea plantation in the mountains of central Sri Lanka.
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