Further Information
Volunteer with Elephants and Communities in Sri Lanka

No other wild animal in Sri Lanka has had such a close relationship with people as the elephant. In Asia this unique relationship between people and elephants dates back 4,000 years when elephants were first captured and trained as draft animals and for use in warfare and religious ceremonies. Beyond this unique relationship with human beings the Asian elephant is a flagship for the conservation of the tropical forest habitats in which it is found. Elephants range over long distances and across a variety of habitats that are home to numerous other wildlife species. As they need very large areas to survive, effective conservation and management of elephants can deliver widespread benefits for other endangered species.

In recent times, human settlements have been encroaching further and further into elephant habitat, and the incidence of crop raiding has increased, leading to the increased destruction of crops, human homes and lives. Most of these large-scale clearings of jungle for agriculture have not given due consideration to the ecological needs of the elephant and other wildlife. As people have suffered escalating losses to elephants, their tolerance has given way to anger and frustration. Every year, elephants looking for food destroy hundreds of acres of agricultural crops, houses, and other property.

The total project area is approximately over 3,000+ square miles and covers the Wet Zone, Intermediate Zone and the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. We are currently only working in the intermediate zone in the area south of Wasgamuwa National Park and the park itself – an area of about 300+ sq kilometres. The climate is tropical and remarkably varied, depending on the climatic zone that you will be working in. Temperatures can range from 14 degrees Celsius in the highest elevations in the Wet Zone, to 34 degrees Celsius in the low Dry Zone habitats. This area is also home to about 800-1,000 elephants. This is the largest concentration of wild elephants in Sri Lanka. It is also an area that has seen an increasing human presence, due to government sponsored re-settlement programmes, which has resulted in the increase of HEC. There is no data on the biology or ecology of the elephant populations in this region. From a conservation stand point, it makes sense to invest resources designed to develop management strategies in this vast population over the long-term. Since our project is situated somewhere in the mid-point of this large land area that connects three distinct climatic zones, the lessons learned, methods and strategies developed from it could be applied throughout this vast region.

Sri Lanka is considered to be one of the most biologically rich countries per unit area, and has been identified as one of the eighteen biodiversity hotspots of the world. A recent survey conducted in the Wet Zone rainforest discovered 140 species of frogs unknown to science. It is crucial to assess the richness of biodiversity in the research area’s forests, so that relevant management strategies to protect and conserve these forests can be developed with the support and participation of the local communities.

Study Animals

Primary study species: Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)

Other species present include: leopards, sloth bears, civets, mongooses, several species of primate, ungulates and rodents, as well as over 300 species of bird, 100 snake species and nearly 250 species of amphibian.

The research base is also close to the Knuckles Mountain Range conservation area, where the scenery is breathtaking and it has amazing bird watching opportunities, being the home of several endemic bird species. Sri Lanka's second largest city, Kandy, the easygoing capital of the hill country, is about five hours away by bus. It is set in spectacularly beautiful scenery, surrounded by mountains, woodlands, open plains and waterfalls. There are also some wonderful places to visit in Kandy, like the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, the Temple of the Tooth, and Uswattekele Sanctuary.