{"id":141971,"date":"2024-09-17T10:29:07","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T10:29:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=141971"},"modified":"2024-09-17T10:29:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T10:29:07","slug":"sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty-by-malaka-rodrigo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty-by-malaka-rodrigo\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka completes first elephant census since 2011 amid uncertainty-by Malaka Rodrigo"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sri Lanka completes first elephant census since 2011 amid uncertainty-by Malaka Rodrigo<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/12081047\/1.-Tusker-Barana-c-Mevan-Piyaseana-2400x890-1.jpg\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Source:<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">News.mongabay<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>Sri Lanka recently carried out a three-day elephant survey by counting the animals as they visited watering holes across the country.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>It\u2019s the first such survey carried out since 2011, when Sri Lanka\u2019s minimum elephant population was estimated at 5,879.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>In the intervening period, a total of 4,262 elephants have died, many of them in conflicts with humans, so it won\u2019t be clear until the results are published in a month\u2019s time whether the population trend is up or down.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><em>Despite potential inaccuracies in the total count, the survey is expected to provide essential insights, such as the male-to-female ratio and the number of calves, which are key indicators of the health of Sri Lanka\u2019s Asian elephant population.<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">COLOMBO \u2014 This past Aug. 17 would have been just another ordinary day for the elephants of Sri Lanka: feeding, drinking, resting and, for some, raiding nearby farms. But for the staff of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dwc.gov.lk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">DWC<\/a>) and thousands of volunteers, it was the start of a busy weekend as they carried out the task of counting the country\u2019s elephants \u2014 the first such count in 13 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Equipped with rations for three days, some volunteers stationed in remote locations climbed makeshift treehouses overlooking watering holes, while others found safer spots where they still had a clear view of the Asian elephants (<em>Elephas maximus<\/em>). Each participant was given a data sheet to fill out. The DWC employed a method known as \u201cwaterhole counting,\u201d which gives a rough gauge of elephant abundance from the number of elephants observed visiting watering holes to drink.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">\u201cThe month of August was chosen for the count as it\u2019s typically the driest month in Sri Lanka, so elephants needing water visit these sources to quench their thirst,\u201d said\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chandana-sooriyabandara-a96a7172?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&amp;originalSubdomain=lk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Chandana Sooriyabandara<\/a>, director-general of the DWC. The department identified 3,130 such water sources frequented by elephants and deployed nearly 8,000 people to conduct the three-day count starting on Aug. 17, Sooriyabandara told Mongabay. The last day of the count, Aug. 19, coincided with a full moon, allowing the wilderness to be illuminated by moonlight and making it easier to count the elephants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/12081116\/Banner-image.jpg\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_287328\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Sri Lanka\u2019s last elephant survey, conducted in 2011, revealed that 55% of the population consisted of adults, with the large number of younger members indicating a healthy population. Image by Vimukthi Weeratunga.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Did rain interfere with the count?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">However, months of preparation were threatened by\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dmc.gov.lk\/images\/dmcreports\/Warning_for_Heavy_Rain_at_1300hrs_on_17__1723880621.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">unseasonal rains<\/a>\u00a0that Sri Lanka started receiving a couple of weeks before the start of the count. The rains created water puddles, allowing elephants to drink without needing to visit the monitored watering holes. A similar count planned for 2019\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/departmentofwildlife\/photos\/a.442530795771864\/2665227520168836\/?type=3&amp;paipv=0&amp;eav=AfYoIQxWnUUrWGJCOQIXxL8Fm83YebhvbQbHdcOV6d1qR8p3dMT_zySvx6m1gnF4gcw&amp;_rdr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">had to be canceled<\/a>\u00a0due to rains, and there were calls to postpone this year\u2019s count as well, given that the survey results would be used for elephant conservation over the next decade.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Despite these concerns, and heavy rains in several localities, the DWC deemed the count a success. It\u2019s now analyzing the data, and says it will take at least a month to release the results of the survey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">More than the total number, understanding the general structure and composition of the elephant population is crucial, said\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=fUNRAXUAAAAJ&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Shanmugasundaram Wijeyamohan<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/vau.ac.lk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">University of Vavuniya<\/a>. The waterhole count method was introduced to Sri Lanka by the late Charles Santiapillai, a renowned elephant conservationist and biologist, in 1992, and the last comprehensive elephant count, in 2011, also used this method.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/12081059\/4.-Counting-elephants-from-a-tree-hut-c-Manjula-Amararatne.jpg\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_287325\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A volunteer stationed in a makeshift treehouse to count elephants. Image by Chamara Kamburapola.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Controversies and criticisms<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The waterhole counting method has its share of critics, with some pointing out that not all elephants may visit the monitored watering holes, as some might prefer rivers or other water sources. Different methods of surveying elephants each have their own flaws, Wijeyamohan. Aerial monitoring is used in many parts of Africa where savanna elephants (<em>Loxodonta africana<\/em>) range across wide open expanses, but in forested Sri Lanka this method would be unfeasible, he said. Another method, the\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/3802142\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">dung count<\/a>, involves counting elephant droppings along predefined paths to estimate the population, but doesn\u2019t provide demographic data or insights into the structure of the elephant population.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The 2011 count estimated that Sri Lanka was home to 5,879 elephants, with a significant number in North Central, Eastern, and Northern provinces, which are key habitats for the species. The count also provided insights into the population\u2019s demographics, including a male-to-female ratio of 1:3.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">According to the count, 55% of the population were adult elephants, with 1,107 calves. These results, particularly the sex ratio and number of calves, indicated a healthy elephant population, Wijeyamohan told Mongabay. \u201cWe need to examine the 2024 survey results to assess any significant changes in these ratios rather than focusing solely on the total number of elephants,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">The primary threat to Sri Lanka\u2019s elephants is conflict with humans. Since the 2011 count, some 4,000 elephants have died \u2014 nearly the total number counted in that last survey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/12081110\/7.-Elephant-distribution-and-HEC-levels-c-Prithviraj-Fernando-1-1.png\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_287327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Map showing elephant conflict areas in Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Unreliable counts<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">\u201cCounting the total number of elephants in a country or region is not easy, and the waterhole counting method will not provide an accurate total,\u201d said\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Prithiviraj-Fernando\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">Prithiviraj Fernando<\/a>, an elephant biologist who leads the Centre for Conservation and Research (<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ccrsl.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">CCRSL<\/a>) and has conducted pioneering research on Asian elephants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">\u201cThe biggest issue with the waterhole survey is that the number of elephants counted is directly proportional to the number of observation points. If the same number of points as last time is used, a similar number will likely be counted; fewer points would result in a lower count, and more points would result in a higher count,\u201d Fernando told Mongabay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Counting elephants is difficult, and no method is easy or entirely reliable, he added. Methods such as identifying individual elephants through photos or mark-recapture, which involves tagging elephants and releasing them, can provide reliable estimates but are extremely time-consuming, expensive, and not feasible at the scale of a country, Fernando said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A more useful survey, he added, would assess where elephants are located, whether they consist of herds or solitary males, and whether they\u2019re seasonal or resident.\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/oryx\/article\/first-countrywide-survey-of-the-endangered-asian-elephant-towards-better-conservation-and-management-in-sri-lanka\/025C8042CF17AD9CA11F54C03D034239\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">His own survey<\/a>, conducted by breaking down the country into pixels of 25 square kilometers (10 square miles), found wild elephants across 60% of Sri Lanka, with 70% of that range being shared with human populations, leading to intense conflict between humans and elephants. Even without precise numbers, this information is valuable for conservation efforts, Fernando told Mongabay.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">He suggested similar surveys, based on questionnaires, could be conducted on a finer scale in areas of conservation concern, such as at the edges of elephant distribution or where development projects are planned. Such data could then inform conservation and management decisions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/12081105\/5.-Counting-elephants-at-night-c-Chamara-Kamburapola-1.jpg\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Counting elephants in the night. Image by Chamara Kamburapola.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2024\/09\/sri-lanka-completes-first-elephant-census-since-2011-amid-uncertainty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-49618 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/12081053\/3.-A-large-elephant-herd-c-Vimukthi-Weeratunge-1.jpg\" alt=\"elanka\" width=\"600\" height=\"341\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_287324\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A large elephant herd by a watering hole. Image by Vimukthi Weeratunge.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">A hidden agenda?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">Sri Lankan environmentalists have raised concerns that the results of the latest count could be misused. In 2011, they questioned why the count also recorded the kinds of tusks on the observed elephants, saying this had no conservation value but could be of interest to people seeking to capture wild elephants. Sri Lanka has a tradition of parading elephants in religious processions, and owning an elephant, and particularly a tusker, is considered a status symbol, leading to the illegal capture of elephants from the wild in the past. Activists have repeatedly expressed concern over the true purpose behind gathering such data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\">This time around, such fears have been given weight by calls from Jagath Priyankara, a\u00a0<a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymirror.lk\/latest-news\/MP-proposes-exporting-elephants-due-to-rising-population\/342-288871\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">member of parliament<\/a>, to address human-elephant conflict by reducing the wild elephant population. Priyankara has proposed measures such as exporting elephants to foreign countries, and capturing and training them for captivity. Environmentalists say that if the 2024 count reveals a significantly higher number of elephants than in 2011, local politicians may put pressure on the government to capture and remove elephants from certain areas. A higher count could also suggest there are too many elephants, potentially leading to a reduction in conservation efforts. But a higher count shouldn\u2019t be used to justify the killing of elephants or capturing them for domestication, environmentalists say.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><strong><em>Banner image:<\/em><\/strong><em>\u00a0A tusker with a herd of elephants in Sri Lanka. Image by Mevan Piyaseana.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/elanka-newsletter-sign-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">Click here to receive your free copy of the eLanka Newsletter twice a week delivered directly to your inbox!<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sri Lanka completes first elephant census since 2011 amid uncertainty-by Malaka Rodrigo Source:News.mongabay Sri Lanka recently carried out a three-day elephant survey by counting the animals as they visited watering holes across the country. It\u2019s the first such survey carried out since 2011, when Sri Lanka\u2019s minimum elephant population was estimated at 5,879. In the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":140429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"aside","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[70696,70697,70695],"class_list":{"0":"post-141971","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-aside","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"tag-jagath-priyankara","9":"tag-sri-lankas-elephants","10":"tag-sri-lankas-minimum-elephant-population","11":"post_format-post-format-aside"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.7.1 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Sri Lanka completes first elephant census since 2011 amid uncertainty-by Malaka Rodrigo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"COLOMBO \u2014 This past Aug. 17 would have been just another ordinary day for the elephants of Sri Lanka: feeding, drinking\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" 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