Description
Elephant boom in North (Sri Lanka)
By Dhaneshi YATAWARA, Sunday Observer
August 21, 2011
The results of the first ever National Elephant Survey is currently undergoing a close scrutiny at the Statistics Department of the Peradeniya University. The Department of Wildlife Conservation expects to issue an interim report as the initial step and later a complete survey.
Sri Lankan Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), is a sub species of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). The 53,000 Asian Elephants live in 13 countries in the world whereas its counterpart the 600,000 African Elephants ('Loxodonta africana') live in 37 countries. Among this highly dense elephant population Sri Lankan elephants estimated to be 10% of the world population. According to the historical documents available with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) the first numbers are recorded from 1900s. Accordingly it is believed that in the early 20th century there could have been approximately 10,000 elephants roaming on this island.
In 1951 the elephant count had been between 1,000 - 1,500 (Norris, 1959). According to DWC administration reports in 1954 the number had been 900 and in 1956 it has dropped to 750 - 800. Again in 1959 the elephant number rises to 1626 (Norris, 1959).
The first survey, more in the nature of a census, conducted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation was in 1993. In this the DWC carried out the survey only in five wildlife regions including the Northwestern, Mahaweli, Eastern and the Southern regions.
The total count was 1967. Second count took place in the Northwestern wildlife region in 2004 in which elephants in Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya districts and in the Wilpattu National Park were counted.
Accordingly in the Wilpattu 51 elephants were counted, 143 elephants in the Kurunegala district, 198 in the Puttalam district, 613 in the Anuradhapura district, 71 in the Vavuniya district and 220 in the Mannar district. The third was in the Mahaweli wildlife region in 2008 which showed a 2149 elephant population in the region.
None of the surveys were able to give a clear picture of the nature of the Sri Lankan elephant population. Yet, none of the surveys were able to give an idea on the population trend, distribution pattern, heavily and moderately used areas of the elephants and abundance of tuskers.
The North could be the most neglected area among all the regions across the country in the previous elephant surveys. Out of the total 1553 observation points located countrywide 162 were in the Northern wildlife region.
As peace and safety returned to the Northern Province the Wildlife authorities were able to comb the jungles looking for jumbo herds those were not properly identified for nearly two decades. Particularly Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi were out of reach.
The Northern elephant population can only be figured following the end of the analysis. "Unfortunately, it is more difficult to count elephants in a forest than fish in a pond!" states Professor Charles Santhiapillai - a leading elephant expert involved in the survey - in one of his earlier papers named 'Counting elephants in wild'. Thus the wildlife authorities had to establish a method for proper observation, an accurate counting and analysis system. "The observation part of the survey had a smooth run, particularly considering the weather in many parts of the country.
It really did not hamper our mission," said H.D. Ratnayake, Director General DWC. The water hole counting method fits perfectly to the usual dry weather of this part of the year.