Asian Elephant in Sri Lanka

• Scientific Name : maximus
• Kingdom : Animals
• Class : Mammalia
• Order : Proboscidea
• Family : Elephantidae
• Genus : Elephas
• Species : Maximus
• Weight : 2000 kg to 5400 kg (sex dependent)
• Size : 2.4 to 2.7 m height
• Diet : Herbivore
• Locations : Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Viet Nam
• Population Trend : Decreasing
• Conservation Status : Endangered

An elephant's most distinctive feature is its size. The elephant's large size is a sign of their unique anatomical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations. Elephants consume approximately 150-300 kg of plant matter daily and have a large digestive system to support this.

Through evolution, their nose has become a trunk. Their mouth is high above the ground which allows them to reach water and food. The trunk of a mature elephant is approximately 2.5m long. It has around 40,000 muscles that control its movements. The elephant trunk, a multi-functional organ that can perform a variety of complex movements, is second only behind the human hand. It is used by elephants for many activities, including feeding, drinking, squirting water, and for tactile contact with other elephants. This plays an important role in their social interaction.

The external ears of their ears have been enlarged. The enlarged ears allow them to maintain a constant body heat. Elephants use their ears to show aggression, fear, and cohesion. The unique folds, depigmentation marks and shapes of the ears can help identify individual elephants. They are like a human fingerprint.

Their teeth are able to grind plant matter. Elephants will have 24 molars in six sets, one on each side of their upper and lower jaws. At any given moment, only 8 teeth are present. An elephant's tooth is replaced horizontally, which is unlike any other mammal.

The growth of the second incisors on the upper jaw are called tusks in elephants. African elephants have both males as well as females who bear tusks. Asian elephants have only males with tusks. Females can have a shorter tushe that does not protrude. In Sri Lanka, less than 11% of males have tusks.

Elephants eat large amounts of plant matter so it is difficult to overcome plant defenses. Plants have two types of defenses to prevent them from being eaten by herbivores: chemical and physical.

Chemical defenses involve the production of toxic chemicals in plants and require large amounts of energy. This type of defense is most commonly used by long-lived plants. Thorns, which are physical defenses, require less energy and are preferred by shorter-lived plant species. Elephants prefer to live in degraded forests where these short-lived plants are plentiful.

For thousands of years, farmers in Sri Lanka have been cultivating shifting (or "chena") crops. This has led to the growth secondary forests. Secondary forest, or scrub jungle, is the habitat for elephants and is responsible for Sri Lanka's high number of them.

Asian elephants used to have an island-wide distribution in the past. The forests of the wet zones were made into plantations and the elephants were considered pests. They were removed from the zone, except for two small herds that were found in Sinharaja or Peak wilderness.

The elephants today are restricted to the intermediate and dry zones. They continue to lose the majority of their range because of the rapid development that has taken place since independence. Large-scale development projects, such as Gal Oya or Mahaweli, were undertaken in the dry zone after Sri Lanka gained independence.

This led to a further loss in elephant habitat, and elephants became more aggressive towards humans.

The history Sri Lanka of elephants dates back thousands years. When Sri Lanka's kings had thousands of them in their royal stables, his subjects weren't allowed to capture them without his permission. The colonization of Sri Lanka resulted in a rapid decline in elephant numbers from the 16th century onwards. Much of the habitat they had in the wet zones was destroyed to make room for agriculture, while wild elephants were used for sport.

The Sri Lankan Elephant population is thought to have fallen by almost 65% since the beginning of the 19th century. Although the death penalty is not enforced, elephants in Sri Lanka are now protected by local laws. The human–elephant conflict is a major challenge for elephant conservation in Sri Lanka. It is growing due to conversion of elephant habitats to settlements and permanent agriculture. Around 200 elephants are killed each year, most likely due to gunshot injuries from farmers protecting their crops, electrocution and trap guns.

More than 100 elephants are kept in private homes by wealthy families and several Buddhist temples. There aren't many elephant riding camps in Sri Lanka like in other Asian countries. However, some attractions offer elephant riding as a tourist activity. It is also not uncommon to see elephants riding during religious events in the country.

In Buddhism and Sri Lankan culture, elephants are revered as a symbol for prosperity. Elephants are still used in Buddhist ceremonies and rituals to carry Buddhist relics. The most well-known being the Kandy Esala Perahera, central Sri Lanka. These processions have deep cultural and religious roots. However, it was discovered that an severely dehydrated elephant was being used at night for the festival. Later, the Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife & Christian Religious Affairs issued a statement. He ordered an inquiry into the use of the elephant in the pageant, and that action be taken against those responsible. He also directed government veterinarians inspect all elephants held captive.

It is difficult to believe that the use of elephants in Sri Lankan religion is not linked with its culture or traditions. It would be ideal that no elephants were shackled or held captive in an ideal world. This is why we need to continue our efforts to make this a reality. These include the creation of elephant corridors, the expansion of protected areas, the translocation of bull elephants, the erection and maintenance of electric fencing, as well as raising awareness in local communities. There is always more to be done.

The Sri Lankan national parks have strict rules regarding game drives. This is to ensure that wildlife can be protected from tourists and safari jeeps. Sections of Yala National Park are closed annually to allow the animals to rest and recuperate. There are many things that can be done to improve the situation. For example, too many safari jeep drivers are roaming freely in parks, harassing elephants and cornering wild animal. Even worse, elephants can be pushed to the edge and retaliated against by turning jeeps at the national parks.

The government continues to take steps against wildlife provocateurs and illegally killing and capturing elephants. In June 2019, eight people were arrested in Sri Lanka in a case that saw many baby elephants being captured and sold as status symbols to the wealthy. Around 40 calves were possibly taken from their herds over a period of 10 years and sold at a price of US$125,000 per head. The government had previously arrested five people for killing an elephant. They also broke up their poaching networks in 2017.