For a country that’s as small as Sri Lanka, she sure does pack a lot of adventure! Observing elephants in the wild is one such experience that no any naturalist or a traveller should miss out on. The Asian Elephants found in Sri Lanka are an icon for the country’s biodiversity, nature, history and culture. Read on to learn more about these gentle giants, that steal the hearts of all those they encounter.
Scientific Classification:
The Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant and is native to the island. They are members of the Proboscidea order and Elephantidae family. They were first mentioned by Carl Linnaeus, under the binomial “Elephas maximus” in 1758.
Characteristics:
The Sri Lankan elephant, is smaller than their relatives in Africa, but are the largest subspecies in the Asian continent, weighing between 2,000 and 5,000kg and reaching a shoulder height of 3.5m sometimes. Fun fact: they have 19 pairs of ribs (we only have 12). The skin of the elephants found in Sri Lanka are darker than that of their counterparts and consists of larger and more distinct patches of depigmentation on ears, face, trunk and belly. Only about 7% of the male Sri Lankan elephants bear tusks. Unfortunately, these magnificent beings are recognised as endangered.
Behaviour:
Elephants are noted for their kind and gentle behaviour, but do not let this deceive you. Although, they really are soft bundles of innocence and purity, they are also extremely dangerous if threatened. They also have remarkable memory.
They’re megaherbivores, and consume up to 150kg of plant matter daily. In Sri Lanka, elephants are thought to be matriarchal as females and calves are seen together, in small, loosely associated social groups that are different from the hierarchical tier structure exhibited by African Savannah elephants. However, at some locations such as the Minneriya National Park, you could witness over 300 elephants in the same gathering as large congregations come to the lake.
Best Places to See Elephants in Sri Lanka:
The Sri Lankan elephant population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Sighting an elephant (or more) if you visit a national park is guaranteed.
Udawalawe National Park – Visiting Udawalawe is the ultimate foolproof plan to witness elephants, in their natural habitat, throughout the year. There is also an Elephant Transit Home, which nurses and nurtures baby elephants that were orphaned or injured, before they are released back into the wild. There are about 500 elephants here. It is situated 180 km from Colombo in the south-central sector of the island.
Yala National Park – Yala is the most-visited national park in Sri Lanka for a multitude of reasons, and this is one of them! It acts as a corridor between Udawalawe, and is an amazing place to sight elephants in their natural habitat. The best season is from May to August.
Minneriya National Park – Arguably the best place to check out elephants in their most natural unadulterated state of being is at Minneriya National Park. As mentioned before, it is where the mind-blowing phenomenon described as the Sixth Greatest Wildlife Spectacle by Lonely Planet occurs. Feast your eyes on the highest number of Asian elephants gather around the historical Minneriya lake to graze on fresh grass and play in the water.
Wilpattu National Park – Because of its unique feature of having “willus” (natural sand-rimmed lakes) spread all over in the park area, Wilpattu attracts a lot of elephants. They love the water!
Photos sourced from Amila Tennakoon and Ankur Panchbudhe
