Media Centre for Volunteer in Ghana

Alison Dunevein

I spent four weeks in Wasgamuwa as a volunteer on the elephant conservation project. The project is relatively new and has only just joined forces with GVI to recruit volunteers; in fact I and another volunteer, Chris, were the first to go out and so I have been asked to write something about my experience on the project.

I have decided not to give you a blow by blow account as your experience will be completely individual and is best sampled first hand. However, I hope the following thoughts will give you an idea of what to expect and some useful information to help prepare for the trip.

The Project

Elephants and people live somewhat uneasily together in this part of Sri Lanka. Strictly speaking, people have invaded ancient elephant territory and the resulting conflict is devastating for humans and elephants alike. Villagers are quite literally besieged by the elephants who tend to come at night to raid the paddy fields or stores for the nutrient rich grain.

An elephant can devastate crops, literally bulldoze a house to a pile of ruble, and cause serious injury to anyone who gets in their way. Every year some 60 people are killed by elephants in Sri Lanka. So the villagers sit up all night, every night in rickety purpose built tree houses, to watch for the elephants. They try to scare off their huge attackers with firecrackers and shouts, and ultimately, with firearms. The consequences for the elephant can be fatal and 200 are killed annually.

The stakes in this conflict are high, and the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society has set up this project to help find solutions that will allow elephants and people to share this beautiful country in greater harmony.

The Methods

A Project Team has been recruited from the local villages under the management of Harsha Gammanpila. Together, they are compiling data on elephant activities, movements, density, and behaviour. To do this, they undertake tank, fence, and transect monitoring, damage surveys, and visits to the Wasgamuwa National Park to survey the elephant population.

The monitoring activities involve patrolling the fences and tanks (large manmade irrigation lakes), and transects of the park, to record elephant damage and the location and frequency of elephant dung. Damage surveys require the Team to visit local villagers and farmers to record their accounts of elephant raids and the resulting damage.

During these activities, the one thing you do not want to encounter is an elephant, and most of your time will be spent interacting with the local people. However, once or twice a week, you will get the chance to go into the National Park to see the elephants from the relatively safe vantage point of a jeep.

The purpose of these park visits is to photograph individual elephants to help compile a catalogue of IDs, and to record the density and locations of the elephants seen. This is the final part of the data gathering undertaken by the project.

The People

Apart from the thrill of seeing elephants at such close quarter in the wild, one of the best aspects of life on the project, is meeting and living among the local people. Sri Lankans are the most generous hearted people I have met. Despite the subsistence nature of their lives, they will gladly share what little they have with you, and are always at pains to ensure you are happy and well looked after.

The members of the Project Team are enthusiastic and diligent, and will quickly show you around the area and introduce you to the local flora and fauna, helping you to clamber over the terrain and through the scrub in the process. Harsha is a lively mine of information on all aspects of life in Sri Lanka, from politics, history and religion, to farming practices and wildlife conservation, greatly adding to the richness of the experience.

The villagers, although obviously at odds with the elephants, welcomed us into their homes with refreshing fruit drinks or peanuts picked fresh from their gardens.

Harsha encourages the local children to visit the Project House in the afternoons, to play games and practice their English. I would recommend preparing some ideas for educational play before coming on the project, and maybe even bringing suitable games with you. The project is firmly based in the community, and these activities will help to educate these bright and eager children who have so few of the opportunities we take for granted.

Life at the Project House

The Project House is basically a sprawling, open plan mud shack, with a fabulous view over one of the tanks. It has a bathroom with flushing loo and cold shower - not so great first thing in the morning, but fantastic after a hot and arduous four hour trek round one of the tanks! Life at the Project House is basic and simple, but you will be well fed and looked after by Siria and his wife, Yasawathi. They speak no English between them, but have an uncanny knack of bringing you a drink just when you’re beginning to think you might be thirsty! Communications at the house are extremely limited. The nearest mobile signal that I found was four hours away in Kandy and I only had a chance to access my email a couple of times during the time I was there. So prepare your loved ones not to hear from you for a while!

I joined the project during the Wet Season, and if you think it rains in the UK, think again! I mention this only to suggest you take plenty of changes of clothes, as it can take several days to dry anything. Also, you might find it useful to take a handful of clothes pegs. On the subject of clothes, women will be required to keep their legs and shoulders covered when out and about, so no shorts and strappy Tshirts. You will also need a sarong to cover up when you go swimming.

A note about footwear – light weight walking boots will protect your feet, but be prepared for them to be perpetually soaking. I tended to wear trekking sandals which allowed my feet to dry out. I could also take them off when I need to negotiated narrow log bridges without falling in the tank. The disadvantage is that your feet are more prone to attack from thorns and ants. The choice is yours but just don’t be tempted to go for the flip-flops worn by the locals. They are expert at the art of balancing on slippery footwear whilst negotiating treacherous terrain – I wasn’t!

Exploring Sri Lanka

I would definitely recommend you budget time and money to visit other places in Sri Lanka. Chris was only out there for the first two weeks, so when it was time for him to head back to the airport, I decided to go with him and see Kandy en route. Our journey took us through the spectacular Knuckles mountain range and the tea plantations over the other side. While in Kandy, we visited the Temple of the Tooth and the Botanical Gardens, and Chris commissioned a tailor-made suit, finished to his specification within 24 hours! The train journey between Kandy and Colombo is well worth making. Get there early and splash out on a 1st class ticket (200RS/1.00GBP) and enjoy the scenery through the large viewing windows.

Also on the road between Kandy and Colombo, is the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala. It’s good to get up close to the elephants and watch them bath in the river. It is however quite touristy, and I did hear that the Elephant Foundation just down the road is better. A final few days in the Negombo beach area will offer you a chance to relax before the long flight home. The Lonely Planet Guide is a good investment to help plan any trips, and Harsha was extremely helpful to us, despite this not really being part of his job. Have fun and give my regards to Harsha and everyone at the Project House, not forgetting the dogs, Sally and Basil!