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birth

Pinnawala Orphanage sees birth of 76th calf

2024-03-23 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

The 76th elephant calf was born at the Rambukkana Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on March 20.This baby elephant was born to 32-year-old she-elephant Shanthi and 19-year-old Pandu at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was started on February 16, 1975, with five baby elephants according to the concept of P.B.G.Kalugalla, who was a minister at that time. The first elephant born at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was Sukumaliya, born on July 5, 1984 to she-elephant Kum...


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misc

Poisoned watermelon given to elephant

2023-08-21 - Kataragama, Sri Lanka.

An individual who fed a poisoned watermelon to an elephant called “ Asela” of the Kataragama Abhinawarama temple was taken into custody by the Kataragama police on saturday. However, Veterinary Surgeon, Uva Wildlife Zone Dr.Ananda Dharmakirthi examined the elephant and confirmed that it was out of danger. Police arrested the suspect during investigations of the complaint received from Mahout Thushara Priyadarshana. He told police that the jumbo had developed a pain in mouth when biting the ...


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relocation

Ailing jumbo Sak Surin to be brought home

2023-05-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A team of veterinarians and experts will be sent to Sri Lanka next month to prepare for the return of Sak Surin, an ailing and ageing Thai elephant, to Thailand for medical treatment and physical rehabilitation. The team, which will visit from June 6-9, will be responsible for the elephant’s health to make sure it is ready for the journey home. sadi Jatuporn Burutphat, permanent secretary for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.He said the Department of National Parks, Wildli...


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death

Iconic elephant ‘Bandula’ dies at Dehiwala Zoo

2022-09-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

‘Bandula’, the elephant found at the National Zoological Garden in Dehiwala is reported to have passed away today. According to reports, the elephant had suddenly fallen ill and had collapsed twice. Despite being treated by the veterinary doctors at the zoo, the elephant had passed away. The elephant was 79 years old at the time of its demise.


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facility

Majestic tuskers of Sri Dalada Maligawa

2022-04-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The chief tusker who represents this Sacred Temple is Indi Raja who is 45-years-old. The tuskers are Sinha Raja, Thai Raja, Jana Raja, Migara, Kaveri Raja, Myan Raja, Buruma Raja and Pulasthi Raja. The other elephants are Kandula, Nalaka and Kadhira. Our chief tusker Indi Raja was donated to the Dalada Maligawa in 1989 aged seven years. He was assigned for Perahera duty when he reached 18 years of age”. Indi Raja was donated by the late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.


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wild

Poor waste management transforms dump sites into death traps for Sri Lanka’s elephants

2022-03-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

“We conducted a survey around Sri Lanka and listed 54 garbage open garbage dumps visited by elephants,” Chandana Sooriyabandara, director-general of Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), told Mongabay. “The department has nothing to do with the setting up of these garbage dumps, but we have to eventually deal with them as elephants frequent the dumps. We are trying to minimise the impact, but it is an uphill task as 70 per cent of Sri Lankan elephants can also be found o...


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death

Sri Lanka: Ceremonial tusker ‘Nadungamuwa Raja’ dies

2022-03-07 - , Sri Lanka.

‘Nadungamuwa Raja’ the tusker which had carried the sacred relic casket of the Kandy Esala Perahera the most number of times, has died this morning at the age of 69 years. Nadungamuwa Raja, was a celebrated elephant towering around 10.5 feet (3.2 metres) in height, the tallest tamed tusker in Sri Lanka. He has carried the Sacred Tooth Relics Casket at the Esala Perahera for 12 years.


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people

Sri Lanka: Former Director General of Wildlife, Nandana Attapattu, passes away

2021-12-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Dr. Nandana Atapattu, a former Director General of Wildlife and an expert on wild elephants has passed away. According to family sources, he had died at his residence in Purwarama Place, Kirulapone.Dr. Nandana Atapattu, has authored a number of research books on wild elephants in Sri Lanka.


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conflict

COPA presents its Second Report containing information on 16 investigations to parliament

2021-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Second Report of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) for the First Session of the Ninth Parliament was presented to Parliament today (06) by its chairman, (Prof). Tissa Vitharana, Parliament Communications Department said. The report also focused on the current status of the Muthurajawela wetland and Human-Elephant Conflict, which had been a very controversial matter among the public. The committee report submitted to Parliament states that as a solution to the Human-Elephant Conflict, t...


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zoo

Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens DG resigned over elephant issue: Union

Ishini Wickremesinghe is the daughter of Shan Wickramasinghe, the brother of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe

2021-09-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pamodi Waravita and Ruwani Fonseka

The Sri Lanka Podujana National Zoological Gardens Department Workers’ Union yesterday (9) claimed that National Zoological Gardens Department Director General (DG) Ishini Wickremesinghe has resigned as she is unhappy about a recent court order to release 14 elephants to their original “owners”. The Colombo Magistrate’s Court decision on 6 September directed 14 elephants under the charge of the National Zoological Gardens Department to be released to their original “owners” for regis...


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birth

Twin elephant calves born at Pinnawala

2021-08-31 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

For the first time in Sri Lanka's history, twin baby elephants have been born at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The twin calves were born to female elephant named 'Surangi'. Both calves are male. The first calf was born around 4.00am while the second was born around 12.00 noon. This is also said to be the first twin birth in Sri Lankan history among registered elephants in captivity.


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welfare

Sri Lanka prohibits handlers from drunk driving on elephants, bans putting baby elephants to work

A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk anoints a temple elephant as a part ritual marking the New Year as per traditions at a temple in Colombo on April 17, 2021.

2021-08-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Under the new regulations, logging elephants can only work up to four hours a day, while working at night is forbidden. They are also entitled to at least two-and-a-half hours of bathing time each day. The captive elephants must also undergo a mandatory health check-up every six months. Rule breakers could face a three-year prison sentence and have their elephants taken into state custody, reported AFP.


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conflict

Human-elephant conflict continues to take heavy toll; 219 jumbos and 89 people so far this year

2021-08-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation has recorded 219 jumbo deaths up to August 11 this year mainly from human-elephant conflict. During the same period, 89 people were killed in elephant attacks. A Senior Department official told The Island that 160 elephant deaths and 56 human deaths had been recorded during the same period in 2020. This is a 30% increase when compared with the 2005–2010 period. It is the highest annual death rate of elephants in the world.”


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conflict

Farmers move to occupy a critical elephant corridor in Sri Lanka

2021-04-13 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Earlier this month, more than 300 people gathered near the borders of the Dahaiyagala Wildlife Sanctuary in Sri Lanka’s Uva province armed with axes, long knives, ropes and handheld hoes called mamoties. Their apparent intention: Take control of sanctuary lands and expand their farms.


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conservation

83 Wild Elephants killed since January 2021 – Sri Lanka Officials

2021-03-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

83 wild elephants died so far in 2021, said the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation Somaratne Vidanapathirana at a media briefing on Wednesday. The Secretary said the deaths were caused by electrocution, shootings, various explosive material, falling into wells, train accidents, and natural causes.


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conservation

6150 hectares allocated for elephant reserve

2021-03-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Mahaweli Authority has said that 6150 hectares of land were given to the proposed Hambantota Wild Elephant Management Reserve. The Authority stated that 2250 hectares have been set aside for further development in the proposed reserve. “This land is extremely suitable for development,” Osmond De Silva, the Resident Project Manager of the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority said. It states that the relevant wild elephant management zone will be gazetted under the Wildlife Ordinance.


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death

Sri Lankan Tusker Rewatha found dead in Kala Wewa

2021-03-09 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan Tusker Rewatha, named by Samagi Jana Balawegaya leader MP Sajith Premadasa, has been found dead. It has been reported that the Tusker found in the Balalu Wewa wildlife forest reserve in Kala Wewa, had died due to electrocution.
The majestic Tusker of Sri Lanka is said to have been electrocuted by unauthorized electric fences set up for the protection of illegal farmlands within the forest reserve.


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conservation

Sri Lanka to conduct elephant census after 10 years

2021-01-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation will conduct an island-wide elephant census this year after a decade to determine the exact number of the animals in the country, local media reported on Monday. Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation Bandula Harischandra said an elephant census was last conducted in 2011 and it was estimated that Sri Lanka had 5,179 tuskers, reports Xinhua news agency.


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relocation

Horowpothana Holding Ground report: Search for missing elephants in July

2021-01-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Pamodi Waravita

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) would be conducting an investigation at the Horowpothana Elephant Holding Ground (HEHG) in July this year on the circumstances claimed in the National Audit Report for 2020. According to the report, although the HEHG was originally constructed to retain 30 rogue elephants as a solution to the human-elephant conflict, by 2019, 52 elephants had eventually been released to the ground. However, at the time the elephant census of the report was conducted ...


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conflict

WALSAPUGALA PROTEST DEMANDS ELEPHANT RESERVE GAZETTE

2021-01-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

On Monday (18) locals from Walsapugala, Hambantota decided to take to the streets demanding the Proposed Wild Elephant Management Reserve in Hambantota, be included in the government gazette. The Walsapugala village in Hambantota is a village in the frontlines of the Human-Elephant conflict, and for many years the people in this village have been living in fear for their lives.


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conflict

DRONE TECHNOLOGY TO CHASE ELEPHANTS

2021-01-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation has taken steps to use drone technology to chase away elephants; the pilot project of this initiative is currently underway in the Naula Rathgammana area in Matale, wildlife officials said on Saturday The pilot project is conducted together with the Sri Lanka Army Research Unit and Sri Lanka Navy, M.S.R.C. Marasinghe, the Director of Operations at the Department of Wildlife Conservation told News 1st.


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conflict

Sri Lanka ranks as the country which killed the largest number of Elephants in the world – COPA

2020-12-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has earned the dubious ranking as the country where the largest number of Elephants are killed because of the Human-Elephant conflict, a Parliamentary Committee has heard as evidence of an increase in the intensity of the conflict was presented by experts. This country is also ranked number two globally where humans have died in conflict with wild Elephants, testimony led before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) heard according to a statement released by the Parliament’s Office...


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trade

Report on illegal capture, trade of wild elephants in Sri Lanka

Corruption of some wildlife officers and undue political and other interference are major challenges to overcome the illegal capture and domestic trade of wild elephants in Sri Lanka, a recent study has highlighted.

2020-11-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The research team observed that the last elephant birth in captivity was recorded in 1994. “However, the report submitted to the Magistrate’s Court by the Wildlife Conservation Department (DWC) Director Gen­eral on July 9, 2015 stated that 37 applications had been submitted for registration of elephant calves born in captivity during the period of 2000 to 2015. This raises a serious suspicion about the origin of these 37 elephant calves,” the report said.


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conflict

HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT SOARS IN SRI LANKA; GREEN ACTIVISTS BLAME HABITAT LOSS

2020-10-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Siddharthya Roy and Judy Isacoff

The rate of human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka has increased exponentially in recent years. The highest number of human-elephant conflicts since 1948 was recorded in 2019, with 405 elephants and 121 humans reported dead, ,” said Sajeewa Chamikara, a member of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, a nongovernment organization.


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wild

Wild Elephants Spotted Foraging for Food in Trash Dump Encroaching on Their Land in Sri Lanka

2020-10-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Benjamin VanHoose

Photographer Tharmaplan Tilaxan of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, captured a series of snapshots that document the large wild animals sifting through an open-area landfill located next to a nearby jungle.


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organisation

Overpopulation at Pinnawala discussed in Sri Lankas Parliament-

2020-09-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

At the Parliament session held today (25), Minister of Tourism, Prasanna Ranatunga has said that the elephant population at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage has exceeded its capacity and its revenue has also dropped significantly in the recent past


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ecology

Mahaveli is a success. But ….

2020-09-27 - Mahaveli, Sri Lanka. Chanaka Bandarage

Mahaveli Development Program is a national development program of Sri Lanka with irrigation development of about 365,000 hectares of land and development of hydro power. Thanks to the accelerated Mahaveli Program, the human – elephant conflict took an adverse upturn. It is estimated that over 256,000 hectares of virgin forest lands became Mahaveli land.


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organisation

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage runs risk of being blacklisted: Minister

2020-09-26 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was facing a risk of being blacklisted for tourists due to various reasons including the overcrowding of the orphanage, and Bottle feeding was stopped as it was not good to give the baby elephants artificial milk. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunge said.


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relocation

Uda Walawe’s iconic elephant Rambo to be translocated

2020-09-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka. Srilal Mithapala

There is reliable information coming through that the iconic elephant of Uda Walawe, Rambo, may be captured and translocated to a holding ground by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). (political and biased article)


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birth

Online misinformation follows rare sighting of baby elephant twins in Sri Lanka

2020-09-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

After the rare sighting of twin elephant calves in Sri Lanka in July 2020, misleading claims and old photographs have circulated on Facebook. Some posts falsely claim the Sri Lankan pair were the first twin baby elephants born in South Asia. Other posts share images of elephants in South Africa, misrepresenting them as recent photos of the new baby elephants.


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zoo

Responding to decision to move Dep. of Zoological Gardens under Ministry of Tourism

2020-09-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Naveed Rozais

Under the formation of the new Government in 2020, it has been announced that the Department of Zoological Gardens will now fall under the Ministry of Tourism, causing concern among animal rights activists across the country with regard to the welfare of the 100 elephants and many other zoo animals in the care of the Department.


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wild

wildlife officials have rescued a baby elephant that had fallen into a muddy swamp

2020-09-06 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.

Polonnaruwa wildlife officials have rescued a baby elephant that had fallen into a muddy swamp at Divulana Villuwa, Polonnaruwa. The victim was a one-year-old male about 4 feet tall.After a five hour operation, wildlife officials have released the baby elephant to the herd.


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wild

Rare Baby Elephant Twins Spotted in Sri Lankan National Park

2020-07-09 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. Erika P.

On Wednesday, July 8, a pair of baby elephants were spotted in the Sri Lankan national park, and officials speculate that they are a rare set of twins. They estimate that the young tuskers are three to four weeks old, feeding from the same mother which led experts to believe that they are twins.


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death

70-Year-Old Frail Elephant In Sri Lanka Whose Photos Sparked Outrage Dies

2019-09-25 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

An emaciated 70-year-old elephant that caused a social media outcry after being forced to take part in an annual Buddhist pageant in Sri Lanka has died, officials said Wednesday. The government has ordered an autopsy for Tikiri, a domesticated Asian elephant that died Tuesday night in Kegalle, 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital Colombo, a wildlife department official said.


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relocation

Jumbo Leap Over Courts To Swindle Baby Elephants

2016-11-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Many have expressed concern over the government’s move to return the baby elephants to individuals who allegedly had illegal permits or none at all. Several environmental lawyers claimed the move to return the elephants to the suspects was at fault since the court is yet to arrive at a final decision on the matter and it still remains a pending case.


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welfare

Sri Lanka bans use of young elephants for work

2016-11-24 - , Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka unveiled tougher laws Wednesday, including a ban on using young elephants for logging and other physical work, as part of a crackdown on cruelty to domesticated wild animals. Wildlife Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said the cabinet approved new regulations imposing tough conditions on owners of elephants, which are considered sacred by Buddhists in Sri Lanka. The animals are also legally protected but are often subjected to cruel treatment by some owners.


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misc

Baby elephant found tied to a tree in Hambegamuwa

2016-11-03 - Hambegamuwa, Sri Lanka.

Residents and wildlife officials have released a baby elephant that was tied to a tree in Hambegamuwa area. Residents who saw this elephant has informed the wildlife officials in the area.


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misc

Sri Lanka cracks down on owners of elephants taken from wild

In this May 19, 2015 file photo, Sri Lankan police officers march with a ceremonially dressed elephant calf during a Victory Day parade in Matara, about 165 kilometers (103 miles) south of Colombo, Sri Lanka. The use of baby elephants in parades is proof

2016-11-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Capturing wild elephants has been banned for decades here. Registration records indicate there should be only 127 elephants in captivity, most of them older. Yet they are a staple of the South Asian island nation´s 400 or so yearly processions — traditional ceremonies honoring a marriage, calling for peace or praying for rain — and in each there are always a few young elephants clumsily cantering to keep up.


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research

Asian elephant herds lack clear matriarchs, strict hierarchies: new study

An adult female Asian elephant asserts dominance over another by putting her trunk over her.

2016-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Unlike African elephants that are characterized by strong matriarch-led, unified families, Asian elephant families appear to be less cohesive and seem to lack clear matriarch-leadership, the study found. The researchers found that Asian elephants showed such little dominance behavior that it was almost impossible to construct linear hierarchies among individuals.


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medical

Galkiriyagama wildlife officers treat wounded tusker

2016-10-09 - , Sri Lanka.

Poaching and loss of habitat have caused tuskers to become an increasingly rare sight in Sri Lanka’s jungles. Wildlife officers on Sunday had to treat a tusker with a unique condition

The Galgamuwa tusker has earned the name “Dalapoottuwa” because of the entanglement of its tusks.The tusker which usually roams around the jungles of Galgamuwa, makes an annual migration to the Kala Wewa via Kekirawa.

Last year, wildlife officers had to treat the tus...


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conference

Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature

2016-08-20 - Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. University of Kelaniya

The conference is meant to cover every aspect of Asian Elephants and aims for a compendium of research papers to be published along with the conference. We welcome research papers on following themes and any other aspect related to Asian Elephants.


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poaching

Thirty eight illegally caught elephants in Wildlife custody - AG

2016-03-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Attorney General yesterday informed Court that 38 illegally caught wild elephant were taken into the Wildlife Department custody following the CID investigation into a massive racket where illegally caught wild elephant calves being sold to third parties.


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conflict

Infrasound radar listens for elephant rumbles to warn villagers

2015-11-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Chamath Keppitiyagama of the University of Colombo is working on a radar system that listens out for the inaudible rumbles of elephants’ infrasound, something that was discovered in the 1980s. Infrasound is useful for locating and tracking elephants over long distances – the low frequency means the sounds travel a long way through the air.


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misc

Rehabilitated elephants can be good moms!

2015-11-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

In August 2015, one of our frequently sighted females in Uda Walawe named Indika was seen suckling two calves of different ages on either sides of her. The younger male calf Indika was nursing was about three months old and merely skin and bones. He was obviously malnourished and weak. She already had a rounded and bulky belly suggesting another calf was on her way.


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zoo

Lanka’s first Open Air Zoo will open today

2015-04-20 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The Zoological Department in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports took the initiative of expediting the construction work of the Open Air Zoo in Pinnawala. It has come up in adjacent to the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala. The public will be given the opportunity of visiting this Zoo free of charge from today until the 01st of next month. It spans 44 acres. The Open Air Zoo has been mainly built on behalf of animals endemic to the country. Zoological Director Anura De Silva said...


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misc

Raising his voice against “a stolen generation” of elephant

2015-04-12 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

Reiterating that elephants are an endangered species, Mr. Samarasinghe is quick to point out that the illegal capture of baby elephants from the wild began after 1994, with powerful people including politicians of the then regime keeping them hidden. “Gradually, in the last two to three years it became a huge business,” he laments, stressing that people need to understand the gravity of capturing a baby elephant when it is still suckling. Both the mother and the baby are traumatised.


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misc

UPDATE: Attempt to seize Oruwala elephants engaged in Polo results in jumbo encounter

2015-04-09 - Oruwala, Sri Lanka.

The elephant calf which was taken into custody of the wildlife officers in the Oruwala area in Athurugiriya recently was presented before the Kaduwela Magistrate on the night of Monday April 6. The magistrate ordered for the elephant calf to be transferred to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. The Kaduwela Magistrate also ordered the release of the two mahouts on bail.


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event

Kandy Perahera 2014

Under the full August moon, a large temple tusker leaves the Dalada Maligawa carrying the Sacred Tooth Relic Casket.

2014-08-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The most popular and colourful festival in Sri Lanka, Kandy Perahera is celebrated once a year usually in August. Dates for Kandy Perahera 2014 will be from 01st to the 11th of August 2014.


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poaching

Investigations on poaching an elephant calf from Udawala sanctuary : Video

2014-05-03 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka.

Wildlife Director General W.B. Rathnayake says that he will hold an investigation with regard to the attempt of poaching an elephant calf from the Uda-Walawa Sanctuary yesterday afternoon. Later Wildlife officers have chased after the poachers, and the poachers have fired gun shots at wildlife officers. However wildlife officers found the calf elephant after it was abandoned by its poachers in a nearby shrub jungle.


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misc

Attempt to abduct elephant calf from Udawalawe averted

2014-05-02 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka.

Some gangsters who had allegedly attempted to remove an elephant calf from the Udawalawe National Park on Thursday and transport it by a tractor were intercepted by the wildlife officers and the residents. When their motives came to light they had fled leaving the calf behind. Residents in the area believe that his high handed act of piracy was attempted with state patronage.


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relocation

No harm in gifting baby elephants – Minister

2014-02-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Minister of Wildlife Resources Conservation Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa defended the Government’s practice of gifting baby elephants to various parties, stating criticism of the action was unwarranted. Speaking to The Nation, the minister brushed aside criticism leveled by environmentalists, claiming the Government ‘will not be dictated by environmentalists.


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relocation

President Mahinda Rajapaksa gifted two baby elephants to the Sri Lanka Army and the Police

Picture by Chandana Perera

2014-01-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday gifted two baby elephants to the Sri Lanka Army and the Police. Three and a half year old ‘Kandula’ was handed over to the Army and four and half year old ‘Abeetha’ to the Police. The baby elephants donated by the Department of Wildlife will be used at ceremonial occassions by the Army and the Police.


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medical

Little elephant is the first scientific record of dwarfism in the wild

Dwarf adult Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

2013-12-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Biologists in Sri Lanka have published the first documented evidence of dwarfism in an adult wild animal. A male Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) measuring just over 1.5 meters (five feet) in height was seen in an aggressive encounter with another male of average size, according to the findings published in the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group journal Gajah.


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poaching

Sri Lankan elephant amnesty will lead to poaching, warn conservationists

2013-12-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Environmentalists have responded with alarm to a proposed amnesty permitting the registration of illegally captured elephants in Sri Lanka. Recent reports in Sri Lankan media have outlined the proposal, stating that during the amnesty period it would be possible to register elephant calves for a fee of about $7,600.


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death

Four elephants killed by illegal electric fence in Southern Sri Lanka

2013-11-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Three adult elephants and one baby elephant were found dead in the Hadilla area of Gannoruwa in Hamabntota in southern Sri Lanka. The elephants were killed when they got caught in an illegally set up electric fence in a private land, local media reported. The Wildlife Department has commenced an investigation in to the incident.


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culling

To Cull or not to Cull?

2013-11-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Srilal Miththapala

Charles Santiapillai, recently penned an article about the perpetrated suggestion to cull Sri Lankan elephants; this has caused considerable concern and debate among a wide cross section of people. Firstly,one must establish the context in which this statement was supposed to have been made, by the eminent Indian Elephant Expert Ajay Desai during a recent lecture in Sri Lanka.


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culling

Mulling over culling of elephants in Sri Lanka

2013-10-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Charles Santiapillai & S. Wijeyamohan

In 2012, a total of 252 elephant deaths were reported from Sri Lanka. In the same year, 66 people were killed by wild elephants. Thus it appears that in Sri Lanka, annually about 100 to 120 animals may be killed deliberately in the human-elephant conflict. The pocketed elephants can be captured and relocated to other Range States so that they can still live in the wild, and a few could even be maintained in well managed zoological gardens and safari parks. Thus culling of elephants is not an opt...


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conservation

Indian elephant expert critical of conservation methods in Sri Lanka

Ajay Desai (right) fixes a radio collar to a wild elephant in India as it recovers from a tranquilizer drug

2013-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Considering all these failed options Mr. Desai said there was a fourth option—the difficult choice of culling these elephants in ‘troubled’ spots. He said this method was cost effective and would even have conservation gains such as using funds to conserve other viable elephant populations. It would also bring a quick end to these elephants instead of a slow lingering death which is what actually awaits them or a life time in captivity and death in the end.


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event

Elephant race scrapped on Sri Lanka"s new trunk road

2013-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Twenty-four elephants lined up for a race Thursday on Sri Lanka´s newest expressway, but thousands of spectators were left disappointed when organisers scrapped the event due to safety concerns. The animals and jockeys were jostling at the start line on the Chinese-built 25.8-kilometre (16 mile) four-lane expressway from the airport to the capital when authorities had a sudden change of heart. Police felt that the tuskers could pose a threat to the safety of spectators if one of them went ...


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misc

Registering illegally captured elephants: Environmentalists up in arms against amnesty period

2013-09-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Environmentalists have warned that the amnesty period for those who rear elephants illegally to register them, will have far-reaching consequences as it will promote elephant poaching. The Environment Conservation Trust has highlighted that relaxing laws on illegally domesticated elephants will encourage poachers to pry on baby elephants, and would run contrary to the Ministry’s good intentions.


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misc

Is Rambo the famous elephant of Uda Walawe National Park dead?

2013-08-27 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

It was about 10-15 years ago that a big bull elephant was sighted regularly along the electric fence bordering the Thanamalwila Road that runs adjacent to the Uda Walawe National Park ( UWNP) and he was named Rambo. While certainly everyone will hope and pray that we are all proved wrong, the prognosis is not good, and all logical evidence indicates that Rambo may be no more in the land of the living.


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relocation

Myanmar gifts a baby tusker to Sri Lankan Temple

2013-06-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A ceremony to hand over a baby tusker gifted by the Government of Myanmar to the Bellanwila Rajamahavihara in Sri Lanka took place Tuesday in the presence of the External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris. The Minister expressed Sri Lanka´s appreciation to the government of Myanmar for its support.


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research

Survey of Elephants

2013-04-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka organized a lecture on April 19, regarding a survey of elephants of Sri Lanka. Dr Charles Santiapillai and S Wijeyamohan addressed the audience.The survey was carried out by the Department of Wildlife Conservation on August 11, 12 and 13, 2011. The lecture highlighted the nature of the survey, and stressed on the difference between a survey and a census.


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event

Oil anointing for 100 elephants

2013-04-10 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

A New Year oil anointing ceremony will be held at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on April 15 at 6.42 a.m. to anoint oil on nearly 100 elephants maintained at the facility. Sabargamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath and Kanaka Herath will be chief guests. The Rambakenpura Surya Mangalyaya to mark Sinhala and Hindu New Year will follow at the near-by Bathambure playground.


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zoo

Pinnawala Zoo

2013-03-19 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The Pinnawala Zoological Gardens, being constructed in close proximity to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, is being readied for an end 2013 opening. An extent of 44 acres has been set apart for the zoo, the first phase of which is to be completed and opened during the course of this year, at a cost of Rs 577 million. Already, the inner road systems, employees´ quarters, a public restaurant and provision of water and electricity facilities have been completed.


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misc

Record income from Pinnawala Orphanage

2013-03-11 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

Zoological Director Anura de Silva said that the income earned from the Pinnawala Orphanage last year was 483 million rupees. He pointed that out of this amount the sum earned from foreign tourists alone was in the region of 455 million rupees. This is a record income earned when compare with the figures in the year 2011.


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death

Blind Pinnawala Raja dies

Raja suffered severely from foot abcesses

2013-01-13 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

The blind elephant ´ Pinnawala Raja´ who was ill for a long time passed away yesterday at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage,reports said. He went blind following an attack by a hunter at Galenbindunuwewa and was taken to Pinnawala, treated for injuries and cured. Claimed to be 70 years at the time of death.


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conflict

Workshops to solve human-elephant conflict

A mahout walking along a street in Colombo. A little more than 7,300 wild elephants roam the island nation, according to data announced by Sri Lankan wildlife authorities in September 2011.

2012-12-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wildlife Department authorities will have discussions with the public at workshops to solve the human-elephant conflict, Wildlife Director General H D Rathnayake said. He said according to the National Elephant Conservation Policy, the Authority activates action plans to prevent the human-elephant conflict. "Under this programme, the department will identify practical and relevant steps which could be used to prevent the conflict between elephants and humans," Rathnayake said.

...


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relocation

Relocating Elephants Backfires

I

2012-12-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

After monitoring a dozen bull Asian elephants in Sri Lanka that were transferred—three of them multiple times—to national parks, researchers have concluded that relocation neither reduces human-elephant conflicts nor helps conservation efforts. Indeed, five of the translocated elephants ended up being killed within 8 months of their release, and the elephants killed five people.


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death

Two jumbos killed, another wounded

2012-11-13 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Yasaratne Gamage

Wild life officials in Anuradhapura have commenced investigations into the death of two jumbos, a tusker found dead in Koongollwewa, Medawachchiya and another, poisoned in Herathgama, Kurunegala. They also found another adolescent elephant, seriously wounded by a trap gun in Kalagama, Galkiriyagama. The carcass of the huge tusker with its tusks removed was found in a jungle in Koongollewa, Medawachchiya by the Wild Life rangers attached to Vavuniya on Monday following information received from a...


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wild

Sri Lanka"s begging wild elephants: making it safer for man and animal

2012-11-06 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

Feeding of begging wild elephants in Sri Lanka´s Udawalawe National Park, can be made safer for both man and animal if it is formalized as a supervised process, where fees are charged, a wildlife enthusiast has suggested. S M S Senadhipathi, a wildlife enthusiast says though elephants lining up for food along an electrified fence at the national park has become an iconic sight "it is an eye sore and a serious risk to animals and people."


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relocation

Video: "Kora Aliya" tranquilized

2012-10-21 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. Pix and video by Wasantha Chandrapala

A wild elephant, known as ´Kora Aliya´ that has turned a great threat to the safety of residents in several villages of the Ampara district was tranquilized by Wildlife Department officials this morning in order to be transported to Pinnawala, after running rampant in the villages of Kunduwatuwana, Paragahakale and Inidurawa, incurring great losses to the crops in the areas.


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relocation

Sri Lanka to send two Pinnawala elephants to Prague zoo

2012-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Prague zoo deputy director Jaroslav Simek said it is a unique project that will largely help extend the genetic base of the European breeding of Indian elephants. The elephants, eight-year-old Janita and seven-year-old Tamara, come from the elephant zoo in Pinnawale. "The Hercules C-130 with them is to take off on Saturday at 01:00 the local time," Bobek, who is staying in Colombo, said.


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relocation

Two baby elephants from Pinnawala to Japan

2012-08-29 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

It has been decided to gift two baby elephants from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to the Tama Zoo in Japan. The names of these two baby elephants are ‘Amara’ and ‘Vidula’. The two baby elephants would be a donation to the Japanese Government, said the Director General of National Zoological Department, Anura De Silva. These two baby elephants would be officially donated to Japan during the President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s upcoming state tour in Japan in October, he further added.


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people

Religion Journal: How to Dress an Elephant

2012-07-31 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Kishinchand Chadiram Thadhani has been dressing elephants for 47 years. He is the official outfitter to the elephants taking part in one of Buddhism’s most significant festivals; the Kandy Esala Perahera in Sri Lanka. The 10-day parade centered on Kandy’s Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth Relic, ends Thursday.


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misc

Mass christening of baby elephants held in Sri Lanka

2012-06-10 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

15 baby elephants born at Sri Lanka’s biggest elephant orphanage were christened in a mass service today. The 15 babies were named: Singithi, Ahinsa, Themiya, Wanamali, Nandi, Mangala, Annuththara, Jeevaka, Kadol, Isira, Bimuthi, Aithi, Gagana and foreign favourites Trinky and Elvina.


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death

Lightning kills a temple tusker in Sri Lanka

2012-04-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Lightning during heavy showers has been suspected as the cause for the death of a temple tusker in Sri Lanka. The 24-year-old elephant named ´Lanka belonging to the Kotte Rajamaha Viahara was found dead Saturday morning in the Ingiriya area in the Kalutara district. According to Ingiriya Police, the elephant has been brought to the area to take part in a New Year festival and was left tethered to a tree in a two-acre filed.


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wild

If you’ve seen one elephant, have you seen them all? "A horse is a horse" – but is any elephant just another elephant?

A cladogram showing the relationships between the African elephants (genus Loxodonta), Asian elephants (genus Elephas) and pleistocene woolly mammoths (genus Mammuthus) based on the hyoid bone, which is located in the neck. Figure from Shoshani & Tassy 2

2012-02-11 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

Few people realize that Asian and African elephants are about as different from one another as we are from chimpanzees. That’s not an exaggeration – the estimated time that they diverged from a common ancestor is about six million years ago, whereas humans and chimpanzees are estimated to have diverged between five to six million years ago [2]. Some have even suggested that Asian elephants may be more closely related to woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius).


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event

Annual Nawam Maha Perahera at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo

2012-02-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Navam Perahera, held annualy in February, displays hundreds of monks, sacred relics housed in a casket are carried by a majestic elephant on its back, dancers, drummers, and many elephants also displays the rich religious and cultural tradition of Sri Lanka.


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blog

Elephants in Sri Lanka

2012-02-02 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. Dan Koehl

Sri Lanka is an island with a land area of approximately 62,000 km2 situated in the Indian Ocean, 35 km from the southern end of the Indian Peninsula. The first-ever nationwide elephant census in August 2011 produced a total of 7,379 jumbos across the island: 5,879 of them were spotted near parks and sanctuaries, while another 1,500 were estimated to be living in other areas.


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blog

Elephant captive breeding history and Hall of fame

2012-02-01 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka. Dan Koehl

Some notes about history of captive elephant breeding 1875-2011. The 20 most succesful captive elephant breeders. Thoughts for the future regarding subspecies, and a last hope for the elephants of Vietnam.


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misc

Thrill-seekers take jumbo-size risks

Local visitors and tourists are unwittingly encouraging a potentially lethal habit when they feed wild elephants.

2012-01-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Feeding wild elephants and enticing them with homemade bites or fast-food leftovers is encouraging a bad and potentially lethal habit – potentially lethal to the humans who tempt the wild animals, who might the next moment turn on them, and lethal to the animal who will probably have to be put down if it took a human life. Local visitors and tourists are unwittingly encouraging a potentially lethal habit when they feed wild elephants.


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conservation

Human-elephant conflict escalates in Sri Lanka. Call for a long-term focus - not electric fences

BEHIND THE WIRE: Elephants in Sri Lanka.

2012-01-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Plans to translocate elephants in Sri Lanka have been scrapped - to the delight of the Sri Lanka Conservation Society (SLCS). However, the charity remains concerned about how the country´s elephant population is to be managed amid intensifying human-elephnt conflict on the island. President Ravi Corea said: There seems to be no definite plans as to how the current populations of elephants in Sri Lanka will be managed over the long term.


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poaching

Pregnant female jumbo felled by shotgun in Sri Lanka

Tragic end: The mother elephant

2012-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

It was a double tragedy – the bullets not only killed the cow-elephant but also the unborn baby she was carrying at Demaliya, close to the northern boundary of the Lunugamvehera National Park last Wednesday. Gunned down by a home-made shot-gun, within an area cleared for chena cultivations, when officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) rushed to the area on information received from the villagers , the cow elephant with severe gunshot injuries to the head was already dead, th...


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people

Prince and Princess Michael of Kent visit Lanka

Princess Michael milkfeeding a baby elephant at Pinnawala

2012-01-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Among the places they visited in Sri Lanka was the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Pinnawala officials feclicitated the visit with the planting of a tree. Eco and wild life tourism expert Sri Lal Miththapala guided the VIPs around on the invitation of the tourism authorities. “Such high profile visits are welcome at a time we are trying to reach out to high end tourists,” said the Acting Sri Lanka Tourism Director General Vipula Wanigasekera.


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birth

Highest elephant births turnout for Pinnawela Orphanage

2012-01-08 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

The Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala whas recorded the highest number of elephant births in 2011, according to the statistics of the Department of National Zoological Gardens. During the year, 15 elephant calves were born and nine of them were males. Last year 2,438,541 foreigners visited the Orphanage. A total of 4,612,631 local and foreign tourists have visited the National Zoological Gardens, Dehiwala and the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.


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misc

Dehivela Zoo, Pinnawela elephant orphanage gets record income

2012-01-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Department of National Zoological Gardens has earned Rs. 651 million last year, the highest on record. The income came from earnings from the Dehiwala Zoo (Rs. 163 million), Elephant Orphanage, Pinnawela (Rs 487 million) and Rs.16 million from other sources. More than 1. 6 million locals and 20,000 had visited the Dehiwela Zoo in 2011 while around 400,000 locals and around 2.4 million foreigners had had visited the elephant orphanage, the Government’s news web site said.


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conservation

New sanctuaries for jumbos in Sri Lanka

2011-12-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Disna MUDALIGE

Work on four elephant conservation sites planned in selected areas to control the human-elephant conflict would be completed within the next year, Wildlife Conservation Department director general H D Ratnayake told the Daily News yesterday. He said that the centre in Veheragala has been completed, while the construction of the three other centres in Horowpathana, Maduru Oya and Galgamuwa will be completed within the next year using the budgetary allocation of Rs 100 million.


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people

First budget with serious proposals for human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka

2011-11-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Holding grounds will be the most effective way to address the problem, he said. President Rajapaksa has approved building four elephant holding grounds in Lunugamwehera, Horowpathana, Maduru Oya and Palukadawa Galgamuwa areas where wildlife and people overlap as a means to reduce the conflict. President has allocated Rs 400 million for Wildlife and Agrarian Ministry to carry out these projects.


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accident

Jumbos hit by trains: When will these tragedies end?

2011-11-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

One is dead and will more follow, for three elephants have been mowed down by the Colombo Fort-Omanthai mail train at the 97.5 milepost between Galgamuwa and Ambanpola at about 3 a.m. last Tuesday. Ironically this is not the first but the third time that elephants have been knocked down at the same location. It was in June this year that three gentle giants died an agonising death after being hit by a special train carrying Poson pilgrims. A few years prior to that another three were killed prac...


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conflict

Elephants do as they please: Monaragala villagers can only watch

2011-09-28 - Yala, Sri Lanka.

Several villagers including Minipuragama, Buruthagola, Helagama and Pahalagama are facing the threat of wild elephants and people in more than 1000 families are living in constant fear. They pointed out that a herd of about 30 wild elephants from the Yala National Park roam into the villages at dusk and destroy home garden crops, chena cultivations, paddy fields and chase after people.


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trade

The Hunt For A Stolen Elephant

The baby elephant at Gangarama temple

2011-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Gazala Anver

Several months ago, reliable sources informed The Sunday Leader that several baby elephants had been taken from the wild and kept at temples around the country. Investigations were conducted in April and three baby elephants were traced to Dewram Vehara in Pannipitiya and the Vipashyarama Purana Vihara, Maharagama.


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conservation

Speed limit for trains to protect elephants

2011-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Dhaneshi YATAWARA

Following several rounds of discussion Railway officials together with Wildlife Conservation Authorities will impose speed limits for trains on certain areas on the Northern and Eastern railway track, Wildlife and Agrarian Services Minister S.M. Chandrasena said. "According to the talks we had with Railway officials, the trains need to limit their speed in areas where elephants cross the railway track," Minister Chandrasena told the ´Sunday Observer´. According to the Wildlife Conser...


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relocation

Sri Lanka to donate baby elephant to Philippines" Manila zoo

2011-09-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Government spokesman and Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said Thursday that the Cabinet has approved a proposal presented by the Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne to donate the baby elephant from the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage to the Manila zoo. In addition, Sri Lankan Embassy in Philippines has organized a series of events to mark the golden jubilee celebrations to be held in Manila on the 3rd week of September.


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conservation

First ever Sri Lanka National Elephant Survey: Elephant boom in North

2011-08-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Dhaneshi YATAWARA

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.


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death

Elephant calf sacrificed for President’s Prana Pooja

2011-08-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

An elephant calf has died in Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on the 9th. The calf had been born on 16th January to the she elephant called ‘Lasanda.’ However, this elephant mother had been separated from its calf on a request by the President and was offered to Vishnu Temple at Devinuwara.


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death

An elegy to Millangoda Raja

Millangoda Raja

2011-08-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tharindu Muthukumarana

The world famous Millangoda Raja has passed away, leaving us the sweet memories that we had of the great tusker. Millangoda Raja was known as a tusker, had the longest tusks in the whole of Asia. The beauty of the tusker was such that it was featured in the covers of several books about elephants. The death of Millangoda Raja was a natural death. The teeth of the elephant had worn out and it could only swallow little amounts of food at a time. This sort of old aged death comes to wild elephants,...


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conservation

2011-08-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Wildlife groups in Sri Lanka are threatening to boycott the country´s first national survey of wild elephants after a minister said it would be used to identify animals for use at temples. A dozen privately-run wildlife organisations on Tuesday pulled out their volunteers on the eve of the survey which aims to count the number of animals across all of the formerly war-torn island´s national parks for the first time.


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conflict

Villagers block junction demanding solution to Human-Elephant Conflict

Protesting villagers

2011-07-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Residents of the area blocked Palagala junction last week, demanding a solution for their Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) issue. About 1,500 villagers gathered at this junction on July 20, protesting the death in the last two months of 7 villagers killed by elephants, according to media reports. Traffic from Kekirawa, Galewela and Mahawa was blocked, causing severe inconvenience to the public. The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) had to assure the villagers that they would relocate the tr...


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abstract

The dynamics of social networks among female Asian elephants

2011-07-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Corroborating previous studies of this and other Asian elephant populations, we find that the sizes of elephant groups observed in the field on any particular day are typically small and that rates of association are low. In contrast to earlier studies, our longitudinal observations reveal that individuals form larger social units that can be remarkably stable across years while associations among such units change across seasons.


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death

Navam Raja, no more

2011-07-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Tharindu Muthukumarana

The death of this majestic tusker was a tear jerking story for most Sri Lankans. This is not the first time when a death of an elephant became a story much talked about through out Sri Lanka. The tusker passed away on Friday 8, 2011, at about 7 am. Navam Raja was an attractive part of the Navam Prerahera. Raja meaning the king in both Sinhala and Tamil languages became the lead elephant to take part in the Gangarama Navam Perahera.


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conflict

Elephant holding grounds coming soon

2011-06-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Two ˜holding grounds to relocate problematic elephants will be completed by the end of the year in a bid to resolve the long-standing human-elephant conflict in the country, the Wildlife Department said yesterday. Wildlife Department Director Dr. Chandrawansa Pathiraja told the Daily Mirror that the construction process of two holding grounds in Lunugamwehera and Horowpathana would be launched in the coming weeks.


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death

Baby elephant drowns

2011-06-05 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. Gandhya Senanayake & Karunarathna Athukorala

A baby elephant had drowned at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Saturday evening, officials said. It drowned after the foot of the baby reportedly got trapped in stones in the area which led to the drowning in the Ma-Oya, they said. Senior Assistant Director Renuka Bandaranayke told Daily Mirror Online that the body of baby elephant had been sent to the Veterinary faculty of the Peradeniya University for the postmortem and that they were waiting for the autopsy report. A police and administrati...


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trade

Million Rupees For An Elephant

Elephant being transported to a temple

2011-05-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Gazala Anver

The gentle giants, inextricably linked to the history and culture of our country, have for generations been hunted and sold for their ivory or as symbols of prestige. It has come to such a point now, that there are very few tame elephants left and the price for them is sky high, as near as a million rupees per elephant.


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misc

Anxious moment

2011-05-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

There was panic for a moment along the main road in Rajagiriya yesterday morning when an elephant ran amok near the Welikada police station after its caretaker lost control of the elephant. However, the animal was brought under control after some time. According to the caretaker the elephant that was brought to Sri Lanka from Myanmar some time ago was being taken from the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya to the Defence Ministry for a function when it got disturbed and ran amok.


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event

Dehivela Zoo organizes video clip contest for visitors

2011-04-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Dehiwala National Zoological Gardens has organized a best video clip competition for visitors from April 8 to 22 for the New Year school vacation, Director General Bashwara Senanka Gunaratne told the Daily News. A tame, juvenile elephant will be brought to the zoo from the Pinnawala elephant orphanage on April 22. People will be allowed to view these animals from 3 pm onwards on this day, he explained. Gunaratne requested the public to visit the zoo during their vacation and participate in t...


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medical

Two elephants injuried in landmine blast

2011-04-05 - Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.

Two elephants have sustained injuries in between the Seelawathura and Mollikulama areas, after being caught to a landmine. The Vavuniya Wild Life office said that the injured animals are being treated for these injuries sustained recently. Officers of the army detachment in the area had informed the wild life office in Vavuniya, after stumbling upon the injured elephants.


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relocation

Govt to do away with jumbo translocation

2011-04-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Disna Mudalige

The Wildlife Conservation Department has decided to do away with elephant translocation with immediate effect considering the negative impact it has caused to both humans and elephants, a spokesperson of the Department told the Daily News yesterday. She said that previous translocation attempts had proved to be unsuccessful. "The elephants had somehow tried to find a route to go back to their previous location. Translocation can affect the behaviour of the elephants. In return they become aggres...


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wild

Elephants still lurking around in Sinharaja

Sighting in 2008: Sinhabahu at Ensellwatte Estate . Pix by Project staff at the Estate

2011-04-03 - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka. Srilal Miththapala

It is a known fact that wild elephants were found in most parts of Sri Lanka during the early 1900’s. However, with the rapid development of the South and South West regions, they gradually moved towards the Central, South Eastern and North Eastern regions. With the rapid development of the tea plantations, the elephants living in the central hills also moved away into the central East or were decimated in the course of development.


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facility

Sri Lanka Wildlife Ministry builds a new interim elephant orphanage

2011-03-19 - , Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Ministry of Wildlife says that a new interim elephant orphanage is being constructed in the North Central Province. The new orphanage for wild elephants is in Ulankulama along the A-12 highway from Puttalam to Trincomalee. The Ulankulama orphanage is also expected to be a tourist attraction probably from July this year, says Minister Chandrasena.


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birth

Another birth at Pinnawala

Menika with the baby elephant

2011-03-18 - Rambukkana, Sri Lanka. Oswald Godakumbura

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage yesterday recorded the 59th birth. Menika gave birth to her third baby and it is in good health, sources from the Orphanage told the Daily News. She gave birth in 2001 and 2005 and they have been named Migara and Mihiri. The number of jumbos at the orphanage rose to 91 with the birth of the latest entry. Nine elephants were born at the orphanage this month alone and they would be christened by the orphanage later this month, sources told the Daily News.


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wild

Jumbos stranded due to floods

2011-02-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

More than 72 wild elephants have been detected marooned in the flood affected areas in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, Director General of Wildlife Conservation Department, Chandrawansa Pathiraja said. He added that 70 out of them were stranded in Manik Farm and Settikulam areas in Vavuniya. Two elephant calves have been detected in Singhapura area in Welikanda, and measures have already been taken to rescue those two, the Director General said.


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people

Three more mahouts interdicted

2011-01-30 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

Three more mahouts of the Pinnawela Elephant Sanctuary who were investigated regarding the death of an elephant who died under tragic circumstances, allegedly due to injuries caused by its caretakers’ spear were interdicted. Several mahouts, an Animal Protection Officer was suspended while the Assistant Director of the Orphanage was transferred following the death of the elephant at the orphanage, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Director S. Gunaratne said.
A total number of nine personnel ...


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conflict

Nearly Rs 300 m allocated

2011-01-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Chamikara Weerasinghe

The Government has allocated nearly Rs 300 million to put up elephant fences in areas where the human-elephant conflict is deemed severe, Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena said yesterday. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has reportedly instructed Minister Chandrasena to fully activate the safety and protection systems in all National Parks.


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death

Mahout’s spear brings death to elephant

2011-01-17 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. Karunaratne Atukorala

An elephant at the Pinnawela elephant orphanage died under tragic circumstances, allegedly due to injuries caused by its caretakers’ spear, an official said today. Two mahouts and an Animal Protection Officer at the Orphanage were suspended from service following the death of the elephant at the orphanage, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage Director S. Gunaratne said


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research

Sri Lanka to conduct population census on wild elephants

2010-12-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife has decided to conduct an island wide survey to take census on wild elephants. The Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife, S.M. Chandrasena says that he has directed the officials of the Department to conduct the survey in August next year.


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conflict

Sri Lanka to deploy Civil Defense Force to curb man-elephant conflict

2010-12-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Minister of Wildlife and Peasants Services S.M. Chandrasena says that 5,000 personnel of Civil Defense Force will be deployed to prevent man-elephant conflicts. The Civil Defense Force personnel will assist the Wildlife officials to protect the elephant population as well as the crops of the farmers.


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relocation

Elephant calf that strayed ends in Pinnawela

This little fellow who lost its way and nearly starved to death was lucky to have been rescued. It will find a new home at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphange.

2010-12-08 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka.

A baby elephant that had roamed away from its herd was found lying exhausted in a paddy field in Kidachchiur. The calf was handed over to the Vavuniya Range Forest Conservation Office by the Sri Lanka Army and some locals. Range Forest Officer W J K Herath said the calf had been starving for several days and that it would be handed over to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage after medical treatment.


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medical

Jumbo dies in re-location bid

2010-11-24 - Galgamuwa, Sri Lanka. Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

An elephant being transported by the Wildlife Department died of suffocation in the Galgamuwa area, officials said. The elephant, a tusker was being taken in a lorry when its leg broke through the bottom of the lorry and the elephant had struggled. Later attempts were made to release the elephant midway, but the attempt failed and the elephant had died.


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conflict

Field days for wild elephants in Kekirawa

The damage done to Rupika’s house

2010-10-27 - Kekirawa, Sri Lanka. Karunaratne Dissanayake

The prowling of wild elephants in villages and paddy fields in the Kekirawa area has increased after the harvesting season. However cultivation in the Maha season has not been possible owing to a severe drought.


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death

Twist of fate

2010-10-26 - Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.

A wild elephant that had been saved from drowning in the sea off Sampur in Trincomalee a few months ago by the Sri Lanka Navy and released to the jungle was found dead last night in a well in Jayanthipura in Trincomalee. Few months ago the elephant had been caught in a current and swept farther into the deep sea when the Navy spotted it. The jumbo had been roaming in the Sampur and Trincomalee areas and was being monitored by the Wildlife Conservation officials.


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conflict

SRI LANKA: Returning IDPs face jumbo squatters

School children walk past two bull elephants greeting each other behind an electric fence

2010-09-06 - Mahaweva, Sri Lanka.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province face a big problem - elephants which have taken a liking to abandoned homesteads.Since the decades-long civil war ended in May 2009, thousands of residents who fled the area in the 1980s and 1990s have been returning to their homes only to find that the jumbos, which had lived in the area previously, were now wreaking havoc in farmers’ fields.


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event

Annual Esala Great Parade kicks off in Sri Lanka

2010-08-25 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

An elephant stands in front of Sri Lanka´s Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) waiting for the start of Maha Pereha (Great Parade) at Kandy, about 110 km northeast of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 24, 2010. The Esala Maha Perahera (Great Parade) was held on Tuesday night at the ancient capital of Kandy. As one of the biggest Buddhist celebrations in Sri Lanka, the annual Esala Perahera during which elephants, drummers, dancers and acrobats parade along the streets of Kandy, is held for ten da...


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misc

Can there be peraheras without elephants? Traditions may change without their participation

2010-08-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ajithlal Shanthaudaya

Buddhist temples and devalas in the country are finding it difficult to maintain the status and grandeur of their annual religious festivals and peraheras owing to the dearth of tame elephants. Basnayake Nilame of the Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devala Sunil Shantha Weerasekara who expressed concern about this situation, pointed out that there was an urgent need to capture and tame elephants for use in temple matters or else many annual processions that were considered as great national pageants w...


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medical

Sri Lanka vets go on strike over elephants

2010-08-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan wildlife veterinarians have gone on strike to protest at the alleged mishandling of elephant conservation which has resulted in an increase in deadly attacks, a union leader said Tuesday. "There is no proper management of wild elephants who are being pushed into narrow habitats as the government allows people to encroach into traditional elephant homelands," Vijitha Perera, the secretary of the vets´ union, told AFP.


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death

Mysterious baby elephant’s death

2010-08-10 - Kaduruwewa tank, Sri Lanka. Atula Bandara

An elephant calf that drank from Kaduruwewa tank in Eppawala fell dead. The Wildlife Conservation Officers who visited the scene on reports received from the public examined the carcass. They were of the opinion that the calf had died from poisoning or when some object, probably a palmirah seed got lodged in its throat. However they said a gunshot injury they came across on the body could have also been the cause of death. Veterinary surgeon of the North Western Wildlife Zone Dr. Chandana Jayas...


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wild

Revisiting "The Gathering" of elephants at Minneriya National Park

An evening ritual of drinking, bathing, or just wallowing in the mud

2010-08-09 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. SRILAL MITHTHAPALA

The “Gathering” is one of the most unique wildlife spectacles in Asia, where during the months of May to September, large numbers of wild elephants - 150 or more - gather around the banks of the Minneriya reservoir or tank. Viewing these elephants is quite easy, and today, due to the efforts of some of us wildlife enthusiasts,and with the support of Sri Lanka tourism, this is now fast becoming a “branded” event referred to as “The Gathering.”


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misc

“Stumpy” chosen winning name of cricket World Cup’s elephant mascot

An elephant stands holding a cricket bat next to a picture of the 2011 cricket World Cup mascot during the announcement of the mascot

2010-08-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

An elephant named Stumpy will be the mascot for the 2011 cricket World Cup. The elephant’s name was unveiled Monday — 200 days before the first ball is bowled — following an online contest. The winner receives a bat signed by cricket stars Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar of India and Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena.


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poaching

Poachers Arrested With Wilpattu Elephant Tusks

2010-07-27 - Kobeiganei, Sri Lanka.

Three men were arrested in the area of Kobeiganei yesterday by Baladora Police, whilst transporting on motorbike, the tusks of an elephant they had killed at the Wilapattu National Park. The three arrestees, residents of the Adampanei, Novichchiyagama area, who were taken into custody by a team of policemen led by the OIC of the Baldora Police Station Inspector Abeyratne, are to be produced before the Hettipola Court today.


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misc

Jumbo out of mud-hole; treated

The injured elephant is being pulled out by the people in the area.

2010-07-12 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Athula Bandara

A government hospital doctor is labouring hard to save the life of an elephant, which had been abandoned by Wildlife Officials as there was no improvement in the animal’s health despite medical treatment by them. At the request of the Ven. Thanthirimale Chandrarathana Nayake Thera and the Wilachchiya Divisional Secretary Sugath Kithsiri, Dr. Dhammika Kumara Dias volunteered to treat the animal lying in a mud hole for over a week in Medadangaswewa, Thanthirimale


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poaching

Elephant killed, calf missing

2010-07-06 - Huruluwewa, Sri Lanka. Kanchana Ariyadasa

Wildlife officers are investigating whether a cow elephant found dead at Huruluwewa in Habarana had died of gun shot injuries and what had happened to its calf. They said the body of the elephant was found in the vicinity of the forest reserve but the calf was nowhere to be seen. A post mortem examination had revealed the elephant had been shot dead. In a similar incident the calf, of another elephant that was killed by poachers sometime ago was found in Colombo.


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relocation

Sri Lanka seeks harmony between elephants and humans

2010-05-17 - LUNUGAMWEHERA, Sri Lanka.

In the early hours of a hot dry day, four orphaned elephants begin a bumpy truck ride back to the jungles of southern Sri Lanka where they had been rescued from near certain death. The four baby jumbos, now aged five and six, are ready to leave the Elephant Transit Home where they have been treated and cared for since they were less than a year old. The state-run home is refuge for dozens of baby elephants who are separated from their herds, fall into wells or ditches or are shot at by angry far...


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misc

At Sri Lankan elephant orphanage, dung is in business

2010-04-25 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. Ruchika Kher

Dont call it crap. Dung is actually being turned into profit at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, thanks to a good idea.At the entrance to the orphanage stands a shop, Pinnawala Elephant Dung Paper, where elephant excrement is used to make products like notebooks, photo frames, gift items, book marks, photo albums and greeting cards. An elephants dung is just fibre. Elephants are poor digesters and over 50 percent of what they eat comes straight out, which helps in making dung products, M.R.S. P...


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conflict

Moves to minimise human - elephant conflict underway

2010-03-29 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Nimal Wijesinghe

The Wildlife Conservation Department has reinforced remedial measures to minimise human-elephant conflict which is on the increase. Special attention has been focused to strengthen existing electrified fences and create a number of protective fences. North Western Wildlife Conservation Zone, Conservation Officer S.A. Sarath told the Daily News that a 45 kilometre long new electrified fence will be created from Kalawewa (South) range towards Undhuruwa via Dambewatawa.


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death

She elephant shot dead

2010-03-02 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

A she elephant accompanied by her calf had been shot dead at Nellikulama in Anuradhapura, Wildlife officials said. Veterinary Surgeon of the Wild Life Department, W.A. Dharmakeerthi who conducted the post mortem examination the day before yesterday said the elephant had died on the spot, following gun shots.


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conflict

Monk dies after elephant attack

2009-11-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

An elephant who was tethered at the Natha Devala premises of the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy attached the resident monk of Sri Pushparamaya, Ihala Kadigamuwa Ven. Maunawe Medhankara Thera on Saturday (31/10) evening and caused him serious injuries. The monk on admission to Kandy hospital succumbed to his injuries. This rogue elephant known as 'Nilame' was chained and confined to the Devala premises as it was behaving in a boisterous manner for some time. It had also reportedly attacked a mahout d...


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abstract

‘Must jumbo’ at Dehivela zoo becomes restless

2009-10-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Ananda Weerasuriya

An elephant at the Dehiwala zoo became unruly yesterday and damaged the roof of the elephant enclosure badly bruising and wounding its trunk, veterinary surgeons at the zoo said. The elephant named Bandula had been tied for the last few days since he had been in ‘must’ (the period when male elephants are ready for mating). However, the condition of the elephant had turned worse yesterday becoming violent and kicking and hitting at the concrete pillars of the enclosure.


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death

Increase in death of wild jumbos

2009-10-22 - Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. Pushpakumara Jayaratne

Statistically the death rate of wild elephants due to the human-elephant conflict increased this year when compared to the previous year. Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department Ananda Weerasuriya said 160 deaths were reported last year and this increased to 170 elephants for the last nine months of the current year. He said about 50 per cent of this number had been shot dead with automatic firearms and that the homeguards were largely responsible for killing wild elephants. The...


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conflict

Experts debate jumbo problem

An elephant killed by a train

2009-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Risidra Mendis

Another elephant killed due to gunshot wounds or electrocution has become a piece of news that we see almost every day. The deaths of wild elephants and humans seem to be increasing, with no immediate solution at hand. But while government authorities discuss possible solutions Sri Lanka’s elephant population continues to decline at an alarming rate.


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misc

Profiting from poop

An eyecatching sign

2009-10-10 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. JOLEEN LUNJEW

Having to deal with tons of elephant dung can be a bit of a headache, but a touch of innovation has turned it into a profitable business. The first thing that caught my eye as we were waiting at the entrance of Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, Sri Lanka, was a huge orange sign at a small shop beside the orphanage proclaiming: “Poo Paper Sold Here!”


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people

Suspect in cub- elephant case flees country

2009-09-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

One of the suspects, Dr Dangolla in the case of a three- month- old baby elephant who died while being held captive in Balangoda, is alleged to have fled the country, environmentalists charged. "After the cub elephant was found in a room of a property belonging to the Deputy Chairman of the Balangoda Urban Council, the main suspect in the case, Richard Gonakumbura, father- in- law of the deputy chairman of the Balangoda Urban Council pleaded guilty at the Balangoda magistrate's court.


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medical

Rabies among elephants in Sri Lanka

2009-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nadira Gunatilleke

Veterinary doctors of Sri Lanka have identified two elephants that were infected by rabies. This is the first time the decease was identified among elephants, said Sri Lanka's virology research institute chief Ochala Wimalaratna addressing a seminar held yesterday. The infected elephants are tamed ones that live in Colombo municipal limits, she said.


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film

Bindu with new concept for Lankan cinema by Somaratne Dissanayake and Renuka Balasuriya at Sandeshaya Sri Lanka

2009-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

For the first time in the Sri Lankan film industry, the first screening of the movie “Bindu” directed by award winning filmmaking duo Somaratne Dissanayake and Renuka Balasuriya’s was free of charge in all cinema halls island wide. The movie “Bindu” was released in Lankan cinema halls yesterday (23) and the show was free to all movie lovers for the first time in the Sri Lankan film industry. Large crowds were seen lined up at the cinema’s yesterday to watch the movie.


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conflict

Understanding elephants and finding solutions to HEC

2009-09-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. L.B.Senaratne

The elephant, whether captive or wild, evokes much interest, debate and controversy in Sri Lanka. On the one hand there is a cry among those who organize processions and religious pageants that there are not enough captive elephants to go around during the Perahera seasons, especially during the period of July to September. On the other hand, farmers and rural people who live in areas close to forests and rely on agriculture as the mainstay of their livelihoods complain of elephant attacks not o...


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death

Kublai Khan - The end of a majestic trail

2009-08-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Dubbed Kublai Khan for his majestic form, the eight-foot tusker who died last Sunday was a favourite with visitors to the Yala park. Here veteran wildlife photographer and researcher Lal Anthonis who has been studying the Yala tuskers for decades shares his fascination with Kublai Khan dating back all of 20 years…. Describing Kublai Khan as an ‘icon’ of Yala, Lal Anthonis, immediate past president of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society recalls how Kublai Khan was on the cover of the...


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misc

Baby jumbo rescued from flooded quarry

2009-08-30 - Karuwalagaswewa, Sri Lanka. Hiran P Jayasinghe

A baby elephant about five months old had accidentally fallen into a flooded quarry in the Kuda Medawachchiya jungle area in Karuwalagaswewa.Villagers reported this incident to Wildlife officials who spared no pains to rescue the animal. Helped by the Karuwalagaswewa police, the animal was rescued on Friday evening.


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conflict

Human, elephant conflict continues

2009-08-25 - Kumbikkulama, Sri Lanka. Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa

In a continuation of the conflict between humans and elephants, a man was killed but a child miraculously escaped unhurt when an elephant in the Kumbikkulama area of Habarana charged a group of farmers tending their land. T.D Wimalasena (47), father of two and a farmer from the Heenmoragolla area had being working at a vegetable plot at around 5.00 last evening, together with a group of other farmers, when an elephant had emerged from the jungle and charged the group, causing panic.


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welfare

Fundamental rights petition withdrawn

2009-08-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. S.S. Selvanayagam

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the fundamental rights petition filed in respect of two baby elephants that had been offered to Sri Dalada Maligawa by the President. The Bench comprising Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, Justices Saleem Marsoof and Jagath Balapatabendi dismissed the petition after it was withdrawn. The Supreme Court was also notified that action was being taken to reunite the baby elephants with their mothers. Counsel I.R .Rajapakse appearing for the petitioner had earlier tol...


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trade

Baby elephant racket bared in Balangoda

The three month old baby  elephant discovered in Balangoda

2009-08-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Risidra Mendis

An ongoing baby elephant racket in the country has come to light with the discovery of a third baby being held captive in Balangoda. However the Flying Squad of the Department of Wildlife and Conservation (DWC) is yet to find out how many baby elephants have been abducted from the wild and how many of them have died while in captivity. It was in early 2000 that the first baby elephant was found in Pugoda in the Kirindiwela area. According to an animal rights lawyer the owners of the baby elephan...


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death

Only 98 domesticated elephants now in Sri Lanka

2009-08-10 - Kadugannawa, Sri Lanka.

The Forum of the Basnayake Nialmes (BN) of Sri Lanka revealed that there are only 98 domesticated elephants now in Sri Lanka following the death of the she elephant at Kadugannawa on Friday. The number of tamed elephants dwindled fast during the part few years as they died due to old age. There were more than 120 of them a few years and the number decreased as 60 per cent of them were over 70 years, the Forum said. The she elephant which died while returning to her master at Hemmathagama after p...


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welfare

Agonising death in 2007 of a Maligawa elephant

Majestic elephant died as a result of deep chain cuts on its legs.

2009-08-09 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Sindu and Raju are not the only elephants handed over to the Dalada Maligawa at the request of the Diyawadana Nilames (DN). In 2007, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) came under pressure to release a wild elephant brought to the Maligawa to be tamed. Dr.Vijitha Perera, a veterinary surgeon attached to the DWC, described the sad fate of this elephant in his book “Ten Years with the Wild Elephants” (Wana Ali Samaga Dasa Wasarak).


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abstract

Balangoda calf linked to baby elephant racket

2009-08-09 - Balangoda, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) raided a house in Balangoda on a tip off that a three-month old elephant calf was being kept there illegally. According to Wildlife sources, following the tip offthe DWC’s flying squad carried out the raid in Bagewatte last morning after being on the lookout for the calf the past week. The team headed by Upali Padmasiri had eventually located the house on Friday night and when they raided it last morning, they found the elephant chained inside the ...


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event

Massive crowds at first Kumbal Perahera

‘Nadungamuwe Raja’, the ceremonial tusker of the Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa carrying the relics casket escorted by other elephants when the first Kumbal Perahera of the Kandy Esala Pageant paraded the streets of Kandy on Monday night.

2009-07-29 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. Asela Kuruluwansa

The third Kumbal Perahera of the Kandy Esala pageant will parade the streets of Kandy tonight. A massive crowd witnessed the first Kumbal Perahera on Monday. Although the perahera commenced at 7.20 p.m. all streets along the perahera route were overcrowded with people occupying all vantage points by 4 p.m. with a considerable number left out on other streets unable to gain access to streets on the perahera route. Among the crowds were a large number of children.


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relocation

Baby elephants spark fighting in Sri Lanka

2009-07-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Two baby elephants under five years old were taken away from their mothers, sparking anger in a world-renown elephant orphanage in central Sri Lanka, a local English newspaper said on Monday. The Island said the two baby tuskers were forcibly separated from their mothers by the Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela, the chief custodian of the Temple of the Tooth, on Saturday night at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, about 80 km northeast of the capital Colombo.


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people

Dr. Miththapala on elephants

2009-04-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The National Trust of Sri Lanka will present another lecture in its ongoing monthly series - this time, 'The Wild Elephants of Sri Lanka' by Dr. Srilal Miththapala on April 30, at 6.30 p.m. at the Barefoot Gallery, Colombo 3. The talk will give a brief background of the evaluation of the elephants and the scientific classification of African and Asian species, the characteristics of Sri Lankan elephants along with the highlights of the historical and religious association that elephants have had...


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conservation

Land for jumbos

2009-02-13 - Hambantota, Sri Lanka. Raja Waidyasekera

A three year plan will be implemented in Hambantota district to minimize human-elephant conflict. The Department of wildlife will implement the project till 2011. Rs. 527 million has been allocated for the project. Under the plan mooted by the Department of Wildlife the existing electric fence in extent of 1,336 kilo meters will be maintained, wild elephants that roam about in villages will be rehabilitated. Plots of land will be allocated for elephants.


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facility

New jumbo transit home

2009-02-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Some of you may have visited the Elephant Transit Home (ETH), Eth Athuru Sevana, at the Udawalawe National Park. If you have been there, you would know just what a joyful experience it is to observe at close range all the elephants, especially the little ones, who reside there.


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zoo

Second zoo in Sri Lanka to be opened in June

2009-01-17 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

The second zoological garden in Sri Lanka, which is currently under constructions, is scheduled to open by next June at Pinnawela in Kegalle about 80 km northeast of capital Colombo. Minister for Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge said that the first phase of the zoo will be to house the local mammals and the birds. The 77 acre Pinnawela Zoological garden is being constructed near the famous elephant orphanage in the area. According to the Minister eighty percent of construction works of...


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conservation

Two thousand jumbo deaths from 1990 to 2007

2009-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

A Wildlife Conservation Department survey has revealed that 2,241 elephants have died as a result of shooting, unknown reasons, electrocution, poisoning, accidents and natural and other causes from 1990 to 2007. The current elephant population is estimated at 3,500-4,000 and a gradual increase has been witnessed in Mahaweli and Wayamba regions during the last four decades. According to the survey, 100 elephants have died due to natural causes from 1990 to 2007 and a certain number of elephants t...


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relocation

Wild life experts lock horns over baby elephant transfers

Baby elephants being fed at the Uda Walawe transit home

2009-01-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

As controversy surrounded preparations to transfer two “babies” from the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) at Uda Walawe to the Pinnawela Orphanage, opinion among activists was divided whether this was a good or bad move. “We are hoping to move ‘Atlas’ and another baby elephant from ETH to Pinnawela on Sunday (today) or this week,” said W.A.D.A. Wijesooriya, Director-General of the Department of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC), when contacted by The Sunday Times.


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misc

tree tops wins wild Asia tourism award

2008-12-18 - Buttala, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Tree Tops Jungle Lodge has been honoured with the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award 2008 at an award ceremony in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tree Tops is a basic mud- and tree-hut ecolodge entirely run and managed by staff recruited in a remote community where hunter-gathering is the traditional lifestyle combined with slash-burn farming. Situated in lowland Uva, 10 km from Buttala, the lodge is located in dryzone Weliara bush jungle in Southeastern Sri Lanka, a wilderness and slash and...


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conflict

Policy to minimise human elephant conflict

2008-11-14 - Kurunegala correspondent, Sri Lanka. S. M. Wijayaratne

According to the recent survey conducted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, it has been revealed that during the past nine months of 2008, 60 wild elephants have died and 24 human beings have died following attacks by wild elephants in the North Western zone of the wildlife conservation. In the year 2007, 33 humans and 73 wild elephants have died of this ongoing conflict.


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pictures

Friday: day in pictures - Sri Lanka

Orphaned Sri Lankan elephants find some respite at a transitional home manned by wildlife authorities near the sanctuary of Uda Walawe in Sri Lanka.

2008-10-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

The elephant-human conflict has claimed a high number of deaths from both species. While authorities attempt to protect the elephants, cultivators often lay traps or shoot at the animals who invade their plantations. Several transit homes have been set up to care for the offspring of killed elephants and to send them back to the wild successfully.


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conflict

Measures to detain wild elephants

2008-10-11 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Nimal Wijesinghe

The Wildlife Conservation Authorities have planned to set up a number of 'holding grounds' to detain wild jumbos who frequently invade the hamlets. Manjula Amararatne, Assistant Director-in-Charge of North Western Wildlife Conservation Zone told the Sunday Observer that steps are being taken to start two wild elephants detention grounds at Ritigala along the Banks of Yanoya in Mihintale and at Lunugamwehera in the South. The Ritigala holding ground will consist 1,000 hectares with a electrified ...


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conflict

Elephant protection societies mooted to minimise human-elephant conflict

2008-10-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wildlife Conservation Department has planned to form 'Elephant Protection Societies' in the North Western wildlife preservation zone for minimising the elephant-human conflict. Assistant Director in charge of the North Western Zone Manjula Amararatne which consist of five districts such as Mannar, Puttalam, Vavuniya, Anuradhapura and Kurunegala, said that villagers who live in areas where elephant invasions are rampant will be trained in strategical methodologies that could be practised in d...


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misc

Sri Lanka rescues five wild elephants during the last 5 days

2008-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Despite the conflict between the two species Sri Lankans have managed to rescue the lives of five wild elephants fallen into agriculture wells in Kekirawa of the North Central Province during the last 3 days. According to Wildlife Department, during a rescue operation that took place on October 3rd to remove two elephant calves and a female elephant, an onlooker was attacked by the female elephant and later succumbed to his injuries. However, another female elephant died before being rescued on ...


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conflict

Sri Lanka hopes elephants can revive tourism trade

2008-10-06 - Minneriya, Sri Lanka.

According to Sri Lanka's wildlife department, 193 elephants died in 2007 and 171 died in 2006. Most of them were either shot, poisoned or electrocuted. The population has now shrunk to 4,500 from 12,000 a century ago. "You can't completely stop the human against elephant conflict," said Jayawardene, who worked for 30 years at the government's wildlife department. "But, with education and money coming into local hands through elephant safaris, we can minimise the damage. Locals will treat the ele...


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death

The fall of Ravana

Ravana dead in a muddy water hole

2008-10-05 - , Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Among the many elephant deaths we hear of, this was particularly shocking. Not only because it was a majestic tusker being monitored through a satellite collar, but also because it was killed inside a national park. Ravana died on August 25 in a muddy water hole inside Lunugamvehera National Park, from infected gunshot wounds. The post-mortem revealed that the jumbo– named after the powerful king of ancient Sri Lanka – was starving at the time of death - the wound on its cheek preventing it ...


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zoo

Sri Lanka to upgrade the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala

2008-09-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankas Ministry of Public Recreation and Sports has allocated 80 million rupees to upgrade the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala, about 90 km north of the capital Colombo, the government said. In a measure to attract more tourists to the world famous elephant sanctuary the Ministry has allocated funds build a ‘open zoo’ in an eco-friendly environment. The Ministry plans to lay an internal road network, erect a parapet wall around the zoo, construct an overhead bridge and build a w...


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conflict

Constructive measures have been put in place to solve the Human -elephant conflict

2008-09-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation

Constructive measures have been put in place to solve the human - elephant conflict. Minister of natural resources and environment Pathali Champika Ranawaka quoting a recent survey said that the number of elephants living in Sri Lanka has considerably increased. According to a detail survey it is reported that there were 673 elephants in 1993. But it has increased four times more than its original figure as of this date. There are more than 2420 elephants found in Mahaweli zone. But unfortunatel...


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conflict

Elephants take two more lives

2008-09-21 - Akkaraipattu, Sri Lanka. Rathindra Kuruwita

Wild elephants killed two people in the Damana Police area yesterday. According to Damana Police, this is the second instance where humans have been attacked by elephants in the area recently. “The elephants have attacked and killed two individuals in the early hours, in a place called Rahman town and the bodies have been sent to Akkaraipattu for magisterial inquiries,” a senior Police officer there said adding that the attacks on humans by elephants have risen in the area dramatical...


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conservation

Increase in elephant population in Mahaweli areas

2008-09-20 - Mahaweli, Sri Lanka. Kelum Bandara

Despite the worsening of human-elephant conflict which has claimed the lives of both species, the elephant population has drastically increased from 673 in 1993 to 2423 this year in the Mahaweli areas of the country. Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka made this observation yesterday while referring to a report of the census conducted covering the Mahaweli areas of Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Matale, Badulla and Ampara. Addressing a ceremony held to mark the launch ...


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conflict

Villagers fume after wild elephant kills man

2008-09-11 - Polpithigama, Sri Lanka. M. A. R. MANUKULASOORIYA

Nearly 1,000 villagers from Gomadiyagala in the Polpithigama police area launched an agitation campaign against Wildlife Officers on Tuesday after a 25-year-old man was killed by a wild elephant near the Hakwatuna oya reservoir in the Polpithigama Divisional Secretariat division. The Divisional Secretary promised that he would take every possible action on this matter. The villagers forcibly opened the gate of the Divisional Secretary's office and entered the premises and made a complaint regard...


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welfare

New laws on tamed elephants

2008-09-05 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Environment Ministry will soon formulate a national level action plan with new regulations with regard to tamed elephants to ensure their well-being, Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said. The regulations will comply with international conditions as well, the Minister told a ceremony at the Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya on Thursday. The Minister opened the sacred relic exhibition at the conclusion of the temple’s 108th annual perahera.


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conflict

Human-elephant conflict cost lives in Sri Lanka

2008-09-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

At least two people and an elephant have died in the human-elephant conflict prevalent in SriLanka's rural north central and eastern areas, police said Tuesday. Police said that a 45-year-old man was killed as a result of being attacked by a wild elephant at Sigiriya, about 165 km from here in North Central Province. The ill-fated man was attacked at around 8 p.m. local time Monday while returning home. In the nearby Digampathaha area, another man was attacked by a wild elephant earlier on Monda...


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conflict

Drunken elephants play hell at Mahavilachchiya

2008-09-02 - Mahavilachchiya, Sri Lanka. Senaka de Silva

Wild elephants are known to go on the rampage, but drunken elephants can be a handful or is it a mouthful as both villagers and wildlife officials in Mahavilachchiya came to experience. Wild Life officials said a roaming herd of wild elephants walked into a kasippu den after sniffing the aromatic smell of fruits used in distilling the brew and had more than a mouthful of the booze and in their drunken state ran amok destroying crops and houses in the village. The men at the illegal brewery showe...


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conflict

Nearly 120 jumbo deaths every year

2008-09-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen

In Sri Lanka nearly 120 elephants are killed by humans and in return about 65 people die after being attacked by elephants every year. The number of cases of elephants being killed or run over by trains could be reduced if the train staff take precautions by giving the elephants enough warning in advance when they spot the elephants close to the rail tracks, Managing Trustee of the Bio Diversity and Elephant Conservation Trust and leading expert on Asian elephants and former planter Jayantha Jay...


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conflict

No crops, no compensation. Puttalam farmers say they may have to quit farming as human-elephant conflict rages on

A destroyed crop

2008-08-30 - Puttlalam, Sri Lanka. Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe

Puttlalam district farmers who have been severely affected by rampaging elephants say they may even have to give up farming, in the face of little or no state compensation or measures to minimise the human-elephant conflict. “Elephants have destroyed our crops that cost us many months of hard labour. This is in addition to being in debt over the capital to plant these crops,” lamented T. D. Ranbanda a farmer from the village of Mahauswewa in Anamaduwa.


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film

VIDEO: Elephant Runs Loose. It"s an increasing sight as many of the elephants stray into human settlement areas in search of food.

2008-08-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

You don't always get thanked for your good deeds - certainly not these villagers anyway, as they found out after rescuing this Sri Lanka elephant after it fell into a local well. It seemed rather more angry than happy, giving the local cameraman who was filming a run for his money as well as the villagers who helped him. The baby elephant in question had fallen into a cultivation well in one of the farming areas in North Central Sri Lankan Province, it's an increasing sight as many of the elepha...


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welfare

Abductions go to the wilds. A jumbo baby-smuggling racket, centred around the wilds in Habarana, has wildlife officials concerned

The baby elephant that was recently discovered in captivity

2008-08-24 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

The baby abduction from Kalubowila led to the discovery of a baby smuggling racket that shocked the nation. At present, Sri Lanka’s Wildlife Department officers are investigating trails of baby elephants allegedly being abducted from the wild. The recovery of a baby elephant illegally held without a proper permit in an estate close to Colombo is probably only the tip of this iceberg, they feel. The elephant is now in the Uda Walawe Elephant Transit Home.


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conservation

Call to protect elephants

2008-08-24 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN- Kandy South Group Corr

Elephants live in herds are led by the oldest female elephant in the herd. The male elephant is driven away from the herd to prevent breeding. These are the strange ways of elephants said the Managing Trustee of Bio Diversity and Elephant Conservation Trust and leading expert on Asian elephants and former planter Jayantha Jayawardena. Jayawardena said that the elephants in Sri Lanka are highly threatened in spite of what anyone may say to the contrary. Explaining the reasons for the Human - Elep...


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welfare

Are elephants happy at peraheras ?

2008-08-24 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Risidra Mendis

Can you imagine a perahera without an elephant? This is a thought that constantly crosses our minds especially with the fast dwindling elephant population in the country. The main attraction at the annual Kandy Esela Perahera is the majestic tusker, draped in a colourful costume decorated with beads and sequins, carrying the tooth relic. The tuskers and elephants are at times in musth but are forced by their mahouts to take part in the perahera, resulting in cases where elephants run amok and i...


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welfare

The preservation of the elephant population in the wild warrants urgent evaluation

2008-08-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Shakuntala Perera

No other animal in Sri Lanka has suffered the wrath of human interference like the elephant. Every year records a number of elephant deaths that the country can ill afford. If there are no ill planned elephant drives killing them, there are the gun shots. The latest in the series of causes for concern was the finding of a calf in chains at a location in Athurugiriya. The owner of the calf could not produce a proper license. The Flying Squad of the Wild Life Department found the three year old ma...


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event

Are Peraheras only of Elephants?

2008-08-20 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. R.A.Ratwatte, Basnayake Nilame – Lankatilleke Sri Vishnu Devalaya- Handessa

There seems to be a belief among the general populace that a perahera is judged by the number of elephants therein. One of the first questions that is asked when one says one has viewed a perahera is: "How many elephants?" A large number is greeted with an appropriate response and a small number is invariably greeted with derision and an insinuation that one has wasted one’s time at that perahera! Contrary to popular belief and the belief of certain uneducated custodians of temples and organis...


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event

Elephants, acrobats enliven Sri Lankan Buddhist festival

In one of his books on the Kandy Perahera, professor Anuradha Seneviratna writes that the characteristic of the annual Kandy pageant has gone through a transformation over the years.

2008-08-17 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. P. Karunakharan

Nearly 100 caparisoned elephants, dancers and torchbearers walked down the streets of this central city decorated with colourful lights and flags as the annual Buddhist festival of Kandy Perahera (pageant) was celebrated with great enthusiasm. The colourful parade began Saturday night from the sacred Buddhist shrine of Dalada Maligawa, showcasing the temple custodians known as Nilames, who were dressed up like ancient kings. The festivities also included traditional Kandyan dancers, fire-jugglin...


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conflict

Elephant tramples man to death

2008-08-14 - Matale, Sri Lanka. Nimal S.Bogahawatta

A man was trampled to death by a tamed elephant near the Karandagolla bridge in Matale on Tuesday. The victim K.I.B.Jayasuriya of Karandagolla died on the spot. The Matale police are conducting further inquiries.


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misc

They have what it takes to make eco-friendly paper. An elephant orphanage hits upon a simple solution to a messy problem

Pachyderms in a playful mood at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.

2008-08-11 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. K. Venkateshwarlu

For keepers and mahouts alike, it was always a messy problem that defied solution. We are talking about the roughly 180 kg of waste an adult pachyderm generates a day. And imagine the pile if it were from a herd of 60 staying and sauntering about in one place. That is simply a problem of elephantine proportions at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage here in Sri Lanka, especially for the poor keepers. But it need not be anymore. For, the orphanage, counted among the best in the world for elephants, ...


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death

Elephants caught in Sri Lanka war

There are nearly 4,000 wild elephants in Sri Lanka

2008-06-03 - Anuradhapura , Sri Lanka. Roland Buerk

The renewed civil war between Sri Lanka's government and the separatist Tamil Tigers is claiming many victims, among them increasing numbers of the island's wild elephants. Of the 74 elephants which died in the north and north-west region last year, 44 were killed by gunfire. The others fell victim to poison, were deliberately electrocuted by farmers who connected wire fences to the mains, or fell down wells. Just four died of natural causes.


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death

Elephants as casualties of war in Sri Lanka

2008-03-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Yusof Sulaiman

Conservationists around the world are again breathing uneasy following word that Sri Lanka's 25-year civil war has caused the death of 193 elephants last year, up by 13 percent compared to the previous year. In a plan gone wrong, park warden J A Weerasingam blames the action of villagers. "They are shooting my animals," said Weerasingam.


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conflict

Man-jumbo conflict again in Anuradhapura

2008-03-24 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Athula Bandara

The residents of several areas including Shravastipura, Siyambalawewa and Aluthwewa in Anuradhapura are facing problems from wild elephants. They have complained to the police and the Wildlife Conservation Department that a herd of wild elephants that roam the human habitat after dusk had destroyed more than 400 acres of cultivated land and 15 houses. They accused the Wildlife Conservation Department of not taking any steps to chase the elephants into a forest reserve. However the Department’s...


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book

Walk through our world

2008-03-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Namali Premawardhana

It is quite a feat to get inside an elephant’s mind, to discover without interaction with the imposing and intimidating animal, the trials and tribulations it faces in daily life; its wants and needs. “Tranquil Footsteps” is one man’s effort to help us achieve that. Through his book, which follows one herd of elephants living within the sanctuary of the Uda Walawe National Park, Srilal Miththapala not only affords the reader valuable and interesting information about this most majestic m...


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wild

Vegetables thrown to wild elephants

2008-03-21 - Dambulla, Sri Lanka.

The manager of Dambulla economic centre Christy L. Wijerathna said yesterday that 25 tons of vegetables had to be thrown out as it had got wet and spoilt due to rain and could not be sold. They were seen eaten by wild elephants.
On Wednesday the centre had received a large quantity of vegetables, but only a few traders from outstations had come to purchase them, Wijerathna said. At the economic centre, a kilogram of cabbage could not be sold for Rs. 3, he added.


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conflict

Wild elephants fall victim to Sri Lanka war strategy

2008-03-19 - PIMBURELLEGAMA,, Sri Lanka. Simon Gardner

Shaking his head at an elephant carcass rotting by a lush paddy field in north Sri Lanka, park warden J.A. Weerasingha counts the cost of a state initiative to arm villagers against Tamil Tiger rebels. While Sri Lanka has long wrestled with a human-elephant conflict that kills dozens of animals and people annually, elephant deaths are up sharply and it's clear why. In what the military says is a bid to protect villages in the far north as the government and its Tiger foes wage a new phase of a 2...


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death

Cruel jaws of death. Elephants are falling victim to an improvised explosive, Hakka Patas, used by poachers in wildlife parks

2008-03-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Malaka Rodrigo

Elephants are generally animals on the move, but this bull elephant frequenting Suriyawewa stood lethargically in one place. Soon it collapsed. The wildlife ranger of Hambantota H.M. Abeykoon and veterinary surgeon for the region Dr. Suhada Jayawardena tried giving water to the animal. The elephant’s jaws were pierced and its tongue badly damaged. Something had exploded inside its mouth seriously injuring the animal. The veterinary surgeon immediately started giving it saline. Despite their ef...


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conflict

Wild elephants hold up Sri Lanka vote: police

2008-03-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Security forces armed with loud hailers were deployed in eastern Sri Lanka Monday to drive away wild elephants blocking access to polling booths, police said. Villagers in Wellaveli told the authorities that they were unable to vote at the first local elections in 14 years because a herd of elephants had blocked their polling booth, a police official in the area said. "We sent a team of commandos in armoured personnel carriers and loud hailers and sirens to drive away the elephants," the officia...


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misc

The real poop on paper

2008-03-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. John Mackie, Canwest News Service

A catchy name is a key ingredient to success. As is a unique product. Mr. Ellie Pooh has both. Mr. Ellie Pooh is called Mr. Ellie Pooh because it offers paper products made of elephant dung in Sri Lanka. Honest. "It's about 70 per cent dung," explains company founder Karl Wald over the phone from frigid Grand Forks, North Dakota.


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conservation

No reasons to fear that elephant population is diminishing. A new transition from human-elephant conflict to human-elephant coexistence

2008-03-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources,

In Sri Lanka our Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (1937) and National Policy on elephants (1996) strictly prohibited culling as a measure to control elephant population. Our culture is based on compassion to all living beings and this too does not permit such measures. Capturing and domestication measures too are being restricted by the law. Our Government signed the CITES (Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Animals & Plants) so that exportation and importation of...


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conflict

Jungle rumble: The battle goes on

A farmer’s bicycle mangled by an angry elephant

2008-03-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Wasantha Chandrapala

The duel between man and beast does not seem to have an end and the situation seems to be worsening by the day. The result is that both man and beast die in the confrontation. While an elephant at Dighawapiya area in Ampara district was killed in early February, on the 26th of last month a wild elephant killed a farmer in Ruhunugama village. Other villages where the menace is rampant in this district are Kotavehera, Suduwella and Vijithapura where at sundown elephants stray into paddy fields des...


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misc

"Asokamala" essentially a captive animal - Wildlife Director

2008-02-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Wasantha Ramanayake

"Asokamala" was born and bred in captivity and therefore could not be released to the wilderness, Wildlife Director General Ananda Weerasuriya stated in his objections to a Fundamental Rights Application before the Supreme Court. The Director General added that the elephant was born in the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala and rared in captivity. The rights application was filed by petitioner Vijitha Fernando of Mt. Lavinia, the treasurer of the organisation, Society for the Protection of Animal R...


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wild

Where no man nor beast is vile From a hungry jumbo to little squirrels, the chief incumbent of Sithulpauwa. Raja Maha vihara welcomes all of them with food and loving kindness

Sharing a special bond: Ven Mevaramba Hemaratne Thera with ‘baby’

2008-02-17 - Yala, Sri Lanka. Rohan Abeywardene

A wild female elephant freely roaming the jungles surrounding the historic Sithulpauwa Raja Maha vihara complex in the Yala National Park is also a welcome guest at the temple day and night thanks to the loving kindness practised by its chief incumbent Ven Mevaramba Hemaratne Thera to all living beings. The only problem is that for this friendly creature anytime is meal time and you will find him poking his trunk through any opening in the monks’ living quarters to satisfy its voracious appeti...


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book

Srilal follows Tranquil Footsteps

2008-02-03 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sanath Weerasuriya

Tranquil Footsteps, the dream book of Srilal Miththapala, was launched last week Srilal is a serious wildlife and nature enthusiast with a penchant for elephants. 'Tranquil Footsteps' a long awaited dream of Srilal Miththapala which tells the story about the elephants of Udawalawe National Park and it traces the life of a female elephant and her family, living in the Uda Walawe National Park during the period of 1998-2002.


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accident

Pinnawela"s "Suranimala" creates a surprise for visitors

2007-12-31 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka. B. W. Eheliyagoda

The elephant 'Suranimala' of the renowned Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in the outskirts of Kegalle town created a scene when it was taken by its mahouts for a bath in the 'Maha Oya' just by the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on December 24. While bathing 'Suranimala' became restless and started to run amok threatening the many visitors to the elephant orphanage on this Christmas eve. There were both foreign and local visitors watching the elephants bathing. The efforts of the mahouts to bring the ...


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welfare

Asokamala safe for now

2007-12-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Yerevan Zoo in Armenia was in the news last year as animal rights activists battled Sri Lankan authorities in the Supreme Court to stop nine year old Asokamala, born at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage from being exported to that zoo. Rights activists say the Yerevan Zoo which boasts of 2,300 animals is in a deplorable state. Recreational Minister, Gamini Lokuge who was the mover and shaker of the proposed gift reportedly denied to media, claims by animal rights activists that there was a co...


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trade

Jumbo in the Supreme Court. What are the laws regarding the gifting of protected animals by Sri Lanka?

2007-11-24 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

An elephant has been taken to court, not just any court but the highest in the land, the Supreme Court. Asokamala, born and bred at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, has kicked up dust being in the centre of a controversy over whether she should be “exported” as a gift from Sri Lanka to Armenia. While animal rights activists battle the authorities in the Supreme Court, in a fundamental rights case, Asokamala, oblivious to being in the eye of the storm is following her routine. Her fate will ...


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welfare

A sigh of relief for "Asokamala"

2007-10-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Supreme Court today issued an order not to transfer nine-year-old female elephant "Asokamala" to the Yerevan Zoo in Armenia. The court made this order following a lawsuit filed by an animal rights activist Vijitha Fernando who protested that the cold climate in Armenia does not suit the animal.


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relocation

Elephant to Armenia with or without permission?

2007-10-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Isuri Kaviratne

The Cabinet has approved the gifting of an elephant to Armenia while Wild Life officials were still studying the suitability of the weather and other conditions for the animal. The move has drawn angry responses from various groups closely following the issue of gifting the elephant Asokamala. Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka told The Sunday Times that the Ministry is still considering the suitability of the weather and the condition of the zoo before issuing the permission to send the nin...


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relocation

Follow India and ban gifting animals to foreign countries

2007-10-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan animal rights activists have made a strong plea to the government to follow India and stop the practice of gifting animals to foreign countries as this is not only cruel, but depletes Sri Lankas fauna. It is time we took India as an example and stopped the practice of gifting animals to foreign countries as a diplomatic gesture, said Sagarica Rajakarunanaike, President of Sathva Mithra, about the Sri Lankan cabinets decision to gift an elephant to an ill-equipped zoo in cold and inhos...


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relocation

Govt. to gift jumbo despite protests

2007-10-18 - Gagani Weerakoon, Sri Lanka.

Despite strong protests by various animal rights activists against the sending of the nine-year-old cow-elephant ‘Asokamala’ to a zoo in Armenia, the government is to proceed with its ‘donation’ to the Armenian government. Asokamala is from the Pinnawala elephant orphanage and has been transferred to the Dehiwala zoo prior to being sent to Armenia, sources said.


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relocation

Lankan jumbo to Armenia

2007-10-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka will donate a she elephant to Armenia in response to a request by the Armenian Government to consolidate bilateral friendly relations between the two countries. The Cabinet has approved a memorandum submitted in this connection, the Government Information Department said. Director General National Zoological Gardens H. Dissanayake said accordingly a nine-year-old she elephant named 'Asokamala' from the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage will be sent to Armenia shortly.


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conflict

Elephant - human conflict takes its toll in Sri Lanka

2007-10-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nimal Wijesinghe

About 160 elephants and 50 persons die from the elephant-human conflict, Environment Minister Patali Champaka Ranawaka said. With the Environmental Development Ministry embarking on a full-scale environmental development plan islandwide, the Minister has declared a “Green month” from today.


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accident

Marauding jumbo claims little girls life

The weeping mother and villagers beside the coffin of the child.

2007-09-23 - Sammanturai, Sri Lanka. Wasantha Chandrapala

The menacing wild elephant is today the oft talked about subject in almost every village which is close to forest areas. Hardly a day passes sans some incident involving this animal. It appears that the attempts made by the Wild Life authorities are hardly able to control this hazardous situation. Ampara district figures more prominently in such episodes where confrontation between man and beast is most common. The most recent incident happened last Tuesday when a two year-old girl became a vict...


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death

117 elephants killed so far this year in Sri Lanka

2007-09-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Wildlife Department sources say that 117 wild elephants died so far this year. The majority of the elephant deaths were reported from the Northwestern Wildlife Zone which inhabits the most number of elephants. Fifty four elephants were killed there. In the Mahaweli zones 37 elephants were killed. Twenty were killed in South and two killings each were reported from Central, Yala, Bundala and East Wildlife zones.


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conservation

Sri Lanka elephant population grew within last 50 years

2007-09-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Colombo University Senior Professor on Ecology Sarath Kotagama says that through the estimates in the past 100 years and the records on man – elephant conflicts, he can prove that the countrys elephant population grew despite the popular belief of decline. He points out that the elephant population was less than 1,000 according to 1953 estimations. The 1973 estimates accounted the elephant population between 1600 – 2200. According to an estimate conducted by Dr. Nandana Athapattu and Man...


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relocation

More elephants to be gifted after November

2007-09-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

C-Pack members were discussing Big-Houses proposal to gift an elephant to Romania. But Mano said they could gift more elephants after November once the remaining Em Pees quit Green leader after their move to topple G-ment fails with the budget vote.


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poaching

Forty wild elephants killed in Trincomalee district in 2007

2007-09-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Wildlife Department office of the Trincomalee district of the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka announced that 40 wild elephants were killed so far in this year in Trincomalee district alone. Meanwhile, in the adjacent Sigiriya area Wildlife officers and villagers were working round the clock to rescue two wild elephants that had fallen into a cultivation well near Indugaswewa on Monday night.


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zoo

UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE

2007-09-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The zoo accommodates a number of primates, some in larger areas than the big cats. But the most distressing sight is that of the elephants, five of them, all chained to the ground. Thankfully, Alipore zoo now has them in open spaces surrounded by moats, although it still cannot stop visitors from feeding them all kinds of rubbish. Yet the elephants are the USP of the Colombo zoo which, together with the famous elephant orphanage in Pinnawala and the farm at Gonapola, form the National Zoological...


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misc

Elephant Lodge. Sri Lanka eco-lodge on track for global award

2007-09-08 - Buttala, Sri Lanka.

A Sri Lankan eco-lodge built in the shape of an elephant has been nominated for a top slot at the World Travel Awards, its operators said. KumbukRiver, in Okkampitiya in the Buttala is about 250 kilometres away from the capital Colombo and are among the eight lodges nominated for Leading Eco-Lodge in the World at the World Travel Awards to be held later this year. The first time Sri Lanka figures among the world’s leading classifications at the showpiece annual event which also includes awards...


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misc

Lack of tamed elephants poser to Peraheras

2007-09-05 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Tamed elephants are a dwindling breed in Sri Lanka that has posed a problem for the conduct of the numerous Peraheras, Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said. According to the Minister, there are only 137 tamed elephants in the country and it has posed a major obstacle in conducting of nearly 72 annual peraheras throughout the country. Ranawaka said tuskers too are a rapidly dwindling species with only 17 of the breed found in Sri Lanka. This is a substantial decrease and is bound to...


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misc

Forty-sixth elephant cub born in Sri Lanka elephant orphanage named

2007-09-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The 46th elephant cub born in Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka recently was ceremoniously named today as Vidula. The elephant cub received the name after a children’s radio channel initiated by the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) recently. The elephant cub got the name Vidula on the request of the pioneer of the radio channel, Sunil Sarath Perera, the Director General of SLBC. Vidula was born to Sapumalee last week. He is the 82nd member of the elephant family in captivity a...


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conservation

Rs. 10 billion needed to manage wild elephants of Sri Lanka

2007-08-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Champika Ranwaka says that the Ministry needs Rs. 10 billion per year for the management of wild elephants in the country. However, the Ministry receives only Rs. 3 billion for all its work, the Minister says. The Minister also pointed out that the shortage of tamed elephants would be a problem in future since there are only 137 tamed elephants while there are 72 famous cultural pageants per year countrywide.


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welfare

MOU to protect the elephant population of Sri Lanka

2007-08-29 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Department and the All Lanka Tamed Elephant Owners' Association are planning to sign a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to the welfare and safety of the tamed elephants. The MOU now being prepared will be signed in September, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources said. The government aims to interact positively with the tamed elephant owners to protect the dwindling elephant population in the country.


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birth

Forty-sixth elephant cub born in captivity at Pinnawala Orphanage in Sri Lanka

2007-08-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Forty sixth elephant cub was born in Sri Lanka’s Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage recently. An elephant named Sapumali gave birth to the new cub. The officials said that the cub is in good health. The orphanage originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many orphaned elephants found injured in various accidents in the jungle has its own generation born in captivity now. Pinnawala, the largest herd of captive elephants in the world with 81 elephants in total is a major tourist...


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birth

Forty-sixth elephant cub born in captivity at Pinnawala Orphanage in Sri Lanka

2007-08-26 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

Forty sixth elephant cub was born in Sri Lanka’s Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage recently. An elephant named Sapumali gave birth to the new cub. The officials said that the cub is in good health. The orphanage originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many orphaned elephants found injured in various accidents in the jungle has its own generation born in captivity now. Pinnawala, the largest herd of captive elephants in the world with 81 elephants in total is a major tourist...


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death

Express train mows down three more elephants

2007-08-25 - Kantale, Sri Lanka.

Three more wild elephants including two calves were mowed down by the Colombo bound express train at Kitulkotte in Kantale yesterday morning, raising this year’s death toll of wild elephants to 71. Kantale police said a herd of elephants were crossing the railway line when the accident occurred at the 153rd milepost, killing the three elephants aged one, six and 25. Two more elephants were also badly injured and wild life officers who were summoned to the scene treated the injured elephants, a...


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death

Sri Lankas tallest elephant dead

2007-08-23 - Mawanella, Sri Lanka. Sarath Samaranayake

The Gannoruwa elephant, known to be the tallest elephant in Sri Lanka who has been featured in the annual Kandy Esala Pageant consecutively for over 60 years died after a prolonged illness at Pamunuwa, Mawanella while receiving treatment from Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Asoka Dangolla and traditional physicians of Miyanapalawa. The elephant owned by Lucky Bandaranayake was 80 years at the time of its death. The elephant was buried in Mawanella yesterday. Secretary, tamed elephants owners association ...


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conflict

Nowhere to go. Environmentalists trumpet warnings over agriculture farm blocking elephant corridor

An elephant fallen prey to bullet wounds in Ampara

2007-08-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Marisa de Silva

A private agricultural farm that is coming up in a major elephant corridor between the Wasgamuwa and Maduru Oya national parks could precipitate the human-elephant conflict in the future, environmentalists have warned. Environmentalist Samantha Suranjan said there is an important elephant pathway crossing the Nilgala, Maduru Oya, Wasgamuwa, Floodplain National Park and the Somawathiya National Park. He said this had been identified by a Mahaweli Environment Report (Tippetts Abbett McCarthy Strat...


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conflict

Pilot project to conserve elephants in Sri Lanka

2007-08-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Chamikara Weerasinghe

The Environment and Natural Resources Ministry has stepped up action to implement a pilot project to arrest the human-elephant conflict in Yala and Lunugamwehera through its recently established Elephant Conservation Trust Fund. Environment and Natural Resources Minister Champika Ranawaka said yesterday that bureaucratic red tape had been overcome to carry out the project. The Government has decided to allocate Rs. 100 million to the fund from the Treasury to be returned once sufficient funds ar...


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relocation

Tuskers from Myanmar ready for Perahera

2007-08-05 - Kandy, Sri Lanka.

These are the first pictures of the two tuskers gifted by the Government of Myanmar to the Government of Sri Lanka, with the Myanmar Ambassador and veterinarian Dr. Kmin Maung Tsu of the Myanmar Forestry Ministry. President Mahinda Rajapaksa inspected the two tuskers and fed them when they were brought to the Janadhipathi Mandiraya in Kandy about two weeks ago. The official handing over of the two tuskers would be on the last day of the Perahera or on the following day. The elephant keeper from ...


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conservation

Dont make national parks ghettos for our elephants. Jayantha Jayewardene, Managing Trustee of the Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust offers some points to ponder on the human- elephant conflict

2007-08-05 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The conservation of a species necessitates the provision of all resources (habitat, security, food, water etc.) necessary to maintain a stable population into the long-term future. Conservation has two aspects; one is the protection of the species and the other, scientific management of the species and the resources necessary for its conservation. The continued existence of the Asian elephant in the wild is threatened not only by the actions of some but also due to others not taking any action.


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misc

Number of tamed elephants dropped to 137 in Sri Lanka

2007-08-03 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Tamed Elephant Owners Association laments that the number of tamed elephants have dropped gradually. The Association figures point out that only 137 tamed elephants are now in the country. About 110 of them are over 50 years of age. There are only 18 tuskers among them and seven belong to the sacred Temple of Tooth in Kandy. The Secretary of the Tamed Elephant Owners Association Damsiri Karunarathna says that the number of tamed elephants did not increase after the licenses to capture ...


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misc

Dumbo gets stuck at the jumbo sale in Colombo

This 15-year-old Asian elephant caused chaos after going on the rampage during a Hindu festival yesterday.

2007-07-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The animal, whose name is Chooti Mahattaya, meaning Little Master, damaged a pair of three-wheeler taxis bringing traffic, and the festivities to an abrupt halt after something in the crowd disturbed him. As hundreds watched him, the 3m (10ft) beast then set off down the road with a team of mahouts – elephant drivers giving chase. However, Chooti proved to be no Dumbo, slinking off to the shops to try to get them off his tail in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.


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accident

Elephants run amok at Kurunegala perahera

2007-07-22 - Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. Pushpakumara Jayaratne

A mahout at the annual Dalada Poson Perehera in Kurunegala was injured last Friday night when he was attacked by one of three elephants who ran amok. The victim has been admitted to Kurunegala base hospital. Two of the elephants belonged to the Dalada Maligawa while the third belonged to the Etkanda Viharaya in Kurunegala. Hospitals sources said the condition of the mahout was not serious and he had been attacked by one of the Maligawa elephants.
As a result of the incident a commotion ar...


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event

Kandy Esala Perahera in Sri Lanka. One of the world"s grandest and most spectacular elephant street parades and processions.

2007-07-08 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. MySriLankaTravel

The significance of this perahera dates to 310 AD when the tooth relic of Buddha was brought from India. For two weeks at the end of July and in to the first few day's of august, elephants parade the street at night, officials and chieftains wear traditional costume and dancers leap to the timeless rhythm of the drums. The elephants are decorated with ornate regalia and battery operated light, adding to the spectacle.


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film

Chandani - The Daughter of the Elephant Whisperer

2007-06-18 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. ARNE BIRKENSTOCK

The destiny of 16-years-old Chandani from Sri Lanka is closely bound to a little injured elephant, who has been taken in the elephant orphan hospital of the Pinnawela National Park. If she succeeds in feeding the animal, her father - the main mahout of the elephant hospital and known as elephant whisperer thoughout the whole country – will teach her to be the first female mahout in Sri Lanka. If she fails and the animal dies, she will have to bury her dream, not being able to fulfill the mahou...


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conflict

More elephants die by home guards" weapons in Sri Lanka

2007-05-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The number of elephants that die from gunshot injuries in Sri Lanka has increased since automatic weapons were provided to home guards in villages under terrorist threat, Wildlife Department figures point out. Some 160 elephants died in the North Western Wildlife Zone last year, and 23 of them were victims of home guards’ guns. Over 200 elephants died last year in Sri Lanka due to human-elephant conflict.


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misc

Mysteries behind animal prophesy

2007-04-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. K. G. H. MUNIDASA

Over 50 years ago, this story concerning a she elephant at the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens was published in the local press. Meena was a very docile animal and her keepers had no problem looking after her. But one day, she started to behave in an unusual manner. She strained at her fetters in obvious excitement as if trying to free herself. The crowds of visitors gave her wide berth, thinking that something unforeseen had befallen the poor beast. Meena behaved in this manner for over 36 hours.


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accident

Ignored Policy and Imprisoned Elephants

2007-04-26 - Lunugamvehera, Sri Lanka. Tharuka Dissanaike

Another elephant death was reported the week before from Lunugamvehera. There is no real count of the number of elephants that have died in this area after several failed drives by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The number can conservatively be put around 12 deaths both within and outside the park boundaries. Villagers in the area believe however that the number is much higher: We have lived for many centuries with elephants. We are not asking them to be driven away. But farmers need s...


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relocation

More orphan elephant cubs released to the jungles of Sri Lanka

2007-04-23 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka.

Ten elephant cubs who were brought up in Sri Lanka's 'Ath Athuru Sevana' interim elephant camp were released to the jungles today. The elephants were the seventh batch of their like to be released to the forest. The Ath Athuru Sevana interim elephant camp in Udawalawe has so far released 56 elephants into the jungle. All of them were orphan cubs who were found throughout the country and brought up there. The Wildlife Department monitors their lives even after they are released to the forest.


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death

Jumbo lives going for a six

2007-04-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Gagani Weerakoon

Amidst reports of an unprecedented number of elephants dying of starvation at the Lunugamwehera National Park, the government yesterday launched a full scale probe into the death of a wild elephant due to negligence by wildlife officials. Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka told the Daily Mirror it was reported that three officials had failed to take swift action to save the elephant stuck in a cesspit on Wednesday as they were ‘watching a world cup cricket match, despite continuous ...


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death

Driven to death

Skin and bone, a dead elephant at the Lunugamvehera Park

2007-04-01 - Lunugamvehera National Park, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

Is the very move – relocating elephants in the national parks – aimed at protecting these majestic animals killing them? Several of the elephants, about 250 herded into the Lunugamvehera Park, under two phases of an elephant drive that began in 2005, may have died for lack of food, resulting in malnourishment and disease, The Sunday Times learns, after a visit to the area this week. What will be the fate of the remaining elephants, considering that the dry season is just starting?


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conservation

Sri Lanka Wildlife Protection Society, boost to local wildlife conservation

2007-03-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In October 1995 a group of Sri Lankans and Americans met at the Taprobane Sri Lanka restaurant in New York City, convened by Conservation Biologist, Ravi Corea to incorporate the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS). The project known as Saving Elephants by Helping People has been in operation for the past 10 years and has installed 41 Kilometers of electric fencing since its inception.


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misc

Rogue Tiger cadres killed Army and Wild Life Officials involved on a drinking water mission for elephants

2007-03-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Walter Jayawardhana

An army search operation found the eight bullet ridden bodies of two army officers, two army soldiers, the officer in charge of the Wilpattu Wild Life Park and three wild life rangers, believed tortured and killed by the rogue cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The men men were in the Wilpattu Park making a feasibility study of repairing the Ikiriyagolla Irrigation Tank which was the main source of water for the large herds of wild elephants in the park.


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conflict

1850 elephants killed in Sri Lanka in the past 15 years

2007-03-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Wild Life Conservation Department sources revealed that over the last 15 years, 1,850 elephants, 1,192 of them, male, have been reported killed. This has reduced the country's dwindling elephant population from 4000 to 2000. Wild Life Conservation Department points out that every year, around 150 elephants and between 50-70 human die because of man-elephant conflict. Data from Sri Lanka’s wildlife conservation department point to an increasing trend.


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conflict

A pilot project aims at making chena cultivators, the elephants’ number one enemy, their very protectors.

Preparations for radio-tracking

2007-03-04 - Yala National Park, Sri Lanka. Kumudini Hettiarachchi

Startling new research indicates that the very humans, in many instances the much-maligned chena (slash-and-burn) cultivators, who come into conflict with elephants, could be made partners in the protection and conservation of these animals they consider their enemies. And this thinking, based on scientific research is about to be tried out as a pilot project in the south by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and scientists keen to see the elephant survive in a country that lays claim to be...


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event

Elephant tournament attracts over 600 foreigners

2007-02-24 - Galle, Sri Lanka. Irangika RANGE

JUMBO FAIR: While creating an exhilarating, competitive and fun atmosphere for over 600 of foreign spectators and players and raising awareness of the plight of the Asian Domestic Elephants, SriLankan Airlines (SLA) sponsored the sixth Annual Ceylon Elephant Polo Association (CEPA) tournament which was concluded at the magnificent historical ramparts of Fort of Galle last week. The event comprising eight international teams including 50 foreign players and two local teams such as Sri Lanka Army ...


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conflict

Villagers at the mercy of wild elephants

2007-02-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nimal S.Bogahawatta

The successive governments since independence have failed to find a solution to the human elephant conflict that resulted in massive destruction of human lives, land and fields and the extinction of elephant population in the country, which is a national asset. 400 houses were among the property destroyed by wild elephants. The people in affected areas said the electric fence now being erected by Lunugamvehera Wildlife Conservation office is only a temporary measure.


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relocation

Sri Lanka will gift a Samadhi Buddha Statue and a baby elephant to China to mark the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

2007-02-16 - PINNAWELA, Sri Lanka. Dharme Sri ABEYRATNE

"Migara", born on June 23, 2001, is the first baby of "Menika". His grandmother is "Komali" which was among the first five orphans when the orphanage started in 1975. Migara weighs 975 Kilos and his height is five feet five inches. Migara will be airlifted to China. His two keepers (mahouts), a veterinary surgeon and an assistant curator of the orphanage will accompany Migara and stay in China until he gets used to the Chinese language and food.


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accident

Elephant goes wild at polo tournament, takes on minibus

2007-02-15 - GALLE, Sri Lanka. Simon Gardner, Reuters

The four-ton elephant threw off his mahout and American rider as the island's sixth annual elephant polo tournament got under way, rampaging off the pitch and crushing the Spanish team's minibus with his head. Spanish horseback polo player and horse breeder Inigo de Arteaga, the Marquis de Tavara from north of Madrid, is used to injuries. "You can fall any time, it can be an elephant, pony, a horse. Last year I broke my wrist. Two years ago I broke two ribs," he said, looking at the remains of h...


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event

6th Annual Sri Lanka elephant Polo tournament

2007-02-14 - Galle, Sri Lanka.

From the 14th – 17th February 2007, at least eight international teams will be fighting it out at the southern seaside town of Galle, Sri Lanka to participate in the 6th Annual International Elephant Tournament. The tournament is hosted by CEPA (Ceylon Elephant Polo Association).


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event

Elephants of Sri Lanka

2007-02-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The plight of Sri Lankan elephants has been thrown into the spotlight as the 6th Annual Ceylon Elephant Polo Association (CEPA) tournament opens tomorrow. As fears grow that the Sri Lankan elephant could become extinct by the end of the 21st century, Sri Lankan wildlife personality Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne has been speaking out. The tournament, which runs from 14 - 17 February, will hold a number of events to raise money for the Sri Lankan elephant.


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people

Lyn de Alwis is dead. He was one with the wilds and colleagues

2007-02-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Childers Jayawardhana

Eminent conservationist, intellectual, excellent administrator and lover of music, Lyn de Alwis passed away on November 22, 2006. The demise of Lyn de Alwis, who rendered a great service to both the Zoological Gardens and the Wildlife Service in Sri Lanka and in foreign lands is a loss to the nation and the world. His love of the wilderness, the natural environment was second nature to him from his younger days.


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event

Navam Perahera at Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo

picture shows Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe placing the casket with the sacred relic of the perahera on Ranaraja, the main tusker at the inauguration of the perahera.

2007-02-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The streets of Colombo transform under the weight of 100 colourful elephants during February's full moon. The event usually has as many as 1000 performers. The Navam Perahera, which started in 1979, attracts more than a million spectators every year to the Gangaramaya Temple, at Hunupitiya on the banks of the picturesque Beira Lake.


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misc

Tamed elephant owners in Sri Lanka woe over lack of animals

2007-02-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. ColomboPage News Desk

Sri Lanka's Association of the Owners of Tamed Elephants has requested from the government to provide them elephants or to allow them to catch them. The Chairman of the Association of the Owners of Tamed Elephants, Nilanga Dela Bandara says that Sri Lanka now has only 150 tamed elephants and 120 of them are over sixty years old. He pointed out that only six elephants are eligible for carrying caskets in religious processions.


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death

Sri Lanka grapples with elephant-human conflict

2007-01-25 - Yala, Sri Lanka. THARUKA DISSANAIKE

Sri Lankas only known crossed-tusk elephant in the wild, known locally as Dalaputtuwa dies of paralysis caused by gunshot wounds in the periphery of a highly protected national park. The tusker, a rare sight in Sri Lankan jungles, was shot by 35-year old Punchi Banda Samarathunge as he stood guard over his war zone-bordering village on the outskirts of the National Park with a T-56 rifle.


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conflict

Human-elephant conflict killed 64 wild elephants and 20 people in northwestern Sri Lanka last year

2007-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. ColomboPage News Desk

Sixty-four wild elephants and twenty people died in Sri Lanka's North Western Wild Life Zone in 2006 as a result of human-elephant conflict, according to figures from the Department of Wild Life Conservation. Six of the 64 dead wild elephants were tuskers, the Department said. Hunting for tusks, shooting to avoid crop damage, railway accidents and poisoning were the major causes for the elephant deaths.


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relocation

Sri Lanka to present elephant calf to China

2007-01-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. ColomboPage News Desk

Sri Lanka will present an elephant calf to China next month to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Cabinet spokesperson Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said, “As a token of remembrance, an elephant-calf, ‘Migara’, would be presented to the people of China.”


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death

Thirteen elephants die in rail accidents in Sri Lanka"s Polonnaruwa district

2006-12-05 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka.

A she-elephant with a young cub collided with the night mail train from Colombo to Polonnaruwa yesterday. Both died on the spot, derailing the train and paralysing train services on the line for more than 24 hours. The Sri Lanka Wild Life Department says at least 13 elephants have died since January 2006 in railway accidents between the Minneriya and Galoya railway stations in the Polonnaruwa district of the North Central Province.


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blog

Reflections from Sri Lanka

2006-11-17 - Kandy, Sri Lanka. Jamie Lorimers

There are about 3 000 wild elephants and more than 20 million people in Sri Lanka, an island the size of Ireland. Before the Brits arrived at the end of the eighteenth century there were less than a million people and many, many more elephants. We shot the majority of them, destroyed their habitat for tea and (perhaps indirectly) catalysed a human population explosion.


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welfare

Protest halts auction of rogue elephants in Sri Lanka

2006-11-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Vindya Amaranayake

The Wildlife Conservation Department has temporarily halted plans to capture and auction two rogue elephants in the Galgamuwa-Maho area, upon protests by the environmental activists, The Nation learns. The department was planning to anaesthetise and capture the two elephants, and auction them on the site on November 9 and 10, and sell them to the highest bidders.


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blog

Future of Sri Lankan Elephants: the wild or the sheltered?

Elephant and Baby - Wasgamuwa Park (Dec 2004)

2006-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Manshark

I was watching a tv prog today about Sri Lankan Elephants. And what did I learn from it? I really don’t know for it left me asking more questions at the end than I had at the beginning. At the end of the day, which ones are the best? Those born in shelter who knows not the ways of the world? OR Those born in the wild who knows not common decency and self-respect?


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pictures

The Pondering Elephant in Udawalawe National Park

Sri Lankan elephant  in the Udawalawe National Park

2006-10-20 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka. Ranil Amarasuriya

A Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) ponders an incursion by photographers while having a light snack in the Udawalawe National Park. Captured on August 14th 2006 with a Canon EOS 30D (EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6 III) on aperture priority (f/5.6) with a resultant shutter speed of 1/1250th of a second at ISO 400


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conflict

Wild elephants kill 3 villagers in Sri Lanka

2006-10-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Wild elephants dragged two women and a seven-year-old girl out of their huts and then crushed them to death in a village in eastern Sri Lanka, plocal police officer AWA Gafar said on Monday. The elephants entered the village of Mohinipuram in Ampara district at dusk on Sunday, charging at residents and creating panic among villagers. He said the elephants pulled the victims from their homes then killed them.


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birth

Elephant gives birth at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka

2006-06-14 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka.

AN elephant named 'Kiri' gave birth on Friday at the Pinnawela to a male calf weighing 75kilo. This was the 36th elephant birth in the orphanage's 31-year history, Veterinary Surgeon Samanthi Mendis said. The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was started in 1975 by the Department of Wildlife. The newborn has taken the number of elephants at the orphanage to 76.


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conflict

Sri Lanka to capture, retrain rogue elephants to work on conservation program

2006-05-18 - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka.

Some of Sri Lanka's wildest, most destructive elephants will be getting a reprieve despite their bad behaviour - but they'll have to spend some time in rehab first. Elephants that rampage through villages, destroying crops or killing people, will be caught, tamed and put to work in the conservation department, an official said Thursday.


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conflict

Human-elephant conflict grows in Sri Lanka

2006-05-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Wild Life Department sources reveal that the number of deaths in human-elephant conflicts in Sri Lanka has increased rapidly. Today an average of 150 elephants are killed annually by people, while the elephants kill an average of around 40 people per year. These averages rose from 50 elephant deaths and 12 human deaths per year at the end of the 1980s.


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event

Sri Lanka Elephants Raise Funds for Their Upkeep

2006-02-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI

Dozens of captive elephants raised funds for their upkeep Saturday by running races, and playing tug-of-war and dancing to the rhythm of traditional drums, during an elephant show in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Elephant trainers maneuvered their animals - draped in bright colored cloths - through a lively game of polo amid loud cheers from the boisterous crowd, most of whom were children.


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medical

SLA mines injure Mannar elephants

2006-02-04 - Lusaka, Sri Lanka.

Three wild elephants which have sustained injuries from landmines buried in Ganshapuram along Sri Lanka Government controlled Mannar-Vavuniya Road Wednesday morning have crossed over into the jungles at the Madhu side. Wild Department officials and veterinary surgeons are reported to have refused to enter the forest located in the Liberation Tigers controlled area to treat the elephants, sources said.


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event

Elephant Polo 2006 Marks Tsunami Recovery for Sri Lanka

2006-01-28 - Galle, Sri Lanka.

The 5th Taprobane Trophy Elephant Polo Championships heralded the welcome return of international sport to the South Coast of Srilanka for the first time since the tsunami. The coastal towns and villages along the south & western seaboards of Sri Lanka have worked resiliently in the quest to successfully rise & rebuild from the destruction of Dec 26 2004.


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relocation

Sri Lanka Environment Ministry drives wild elephants to Wilpaththu

2005-07-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Environment Ministry has begun a project to move about 160 wild elephants, currently roaming the public roads in the Kurunegala district, back to protected areas. The action is meant to save the lives of both humans and beasts.According to Environment Minister A.H.M. Fowzie, the main goal of the project is to minimize conflict between man and elephant and save the lives of both. The wild elephants will be driven back to Wilpaththu and Thabbowa sanctuaries.


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conservation

Asian Development Bank to protect Sri Lanka"s elephants

2005-04-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Following a request from the Sri Lankan government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to help protect the country's elephants. A proposal was submitted by the Sri Lankan government to the ADB asking for Rs. 51 million for this purpose. However, the funds have not been finalized yet.


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death

Sri Lanka express hits elephants

2004-12-23 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

"A very tragic incident, but no one's fault"
An express train has collided with a herd of wild elephants in Sri Lanka.
One elephant was killed and two others badly injured in the accident in Anuradhapura district, about 160km (100 miles) north of the capital Colombo.

The train's engine was derailed in the collision, but none of the 500 passengers was hurt.


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death

One elephant dies, another injured in train crash

2004-12-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Florence Wickramage, Sri Lanka Daily News

Two more wild elephants met with a railway accident Friday morning at the
137 and a half mile post on the Habarana-Kantale Railway track. The she
elephant was seriously injured while the young elephant died on the spot. This is the second accident to occur at the very spot which claimed the lives of two wild elephants nearly two months ago.


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conservation

Asian elephant conservationists go to Kenya

2004-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In an unprecedented move a group of Asian elephant conservationists were taken on a tour of the conservation and research sites in Kenya. The group consisted of thirteen individuals from eight Asian countries.


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medical

Living with jumbo handicaps -Sama at the Pinnawela orphanage

2004-10-06 - KEGALLA, Sri Lanka. R.K. Radhakrishnan

It was eight years ago that Sama was brought to the Pinnewala elephant orphanage here. The cow-elephant had lost a leg when it stepped on a landmine in the northern jungles. It was about five then.

Today, the orphanage veterinarian, Chandana Rajapaksa, is worried.


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facility

Elephant Conservation and Breeding Centre:More space for Pinnawela elephants

2004-10-02 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka. Florence Wickramage

The Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela will be upgraded as the Elephant Conservation and Breeding Centre and the entire complex including the large extent of land will be redesigned to afford more protection and movement facilities for elephants.


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conflict

Yala National Park in Sri Lanka closed as thirsty elephants see red

2004-09-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Reuters

Sri Lanka has closed its biggest wildlife reserve because a severe drought has dried up watering holes and left wild elephants thirsty, angry and ready to charge, park officials say.


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conservation

White elephant spotted in Sri Lanka - Albino pachyderm may boost conservation efforts

2004-07-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Helen Pilcher

A rare albino elephant has been spotted roaming Sri Lanka's Ruhunu National Park, the first recorded sighting in the country. The pale-skinned pachyderm, thought to be around 11 years old, lives with a 17-strong herd of adult females and youngsters. Tracking the herd's movements could help researchers devise new strategies for the protection and management of Sri Lanka's elephants.


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abstract

First reported case of elephant rabies in Sri Lanka

1999-01-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka. Wimalaratne O, Kodikara DS.Department of Rabies Diagnosis and Research, Medical Research Institute

Wimalaratne O, Kodikara DS.


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278 Headlines about Elephants from Sri lanka2024-03-23 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka - Pinnawala Orphanage sees birth of 76th calf 2023-08-21 - Kataragama, Sri Lanka - Poisoned watermelon given to elephant 2023-05-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Ailing jumbo Sak Surin to be brought home 2022-09-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Iconic elephant ‘Bandula’ dies at Dehiwala Zoo 2022-04-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Majestic tuskers of Sri Dalada Maligawa 2022-03-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Poor waste management transforms dump sites into death traps for Sri Lanka’s elephants 2022-03-07 - , Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka: Ceremonial tusker ‘Nadungamuwa Raja’ dies 2021-12-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka: Former Director General of Wildlife, Nandana Attapattu, passes away 2021-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - COPA presents its Second Report containing information on 16 investigations to parliament 2021-09-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens DG resigned over elephant issue: Union 2021-08-31 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka - Twin elephant calves born at Pinnawala 2021-08-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka prohibits handlers from drunk driving on elephants, bans putting baby elephants to work 2021-08-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Human-elephant conflict continues to take heavy toll; 219 jumbos and 89 people so far this year 2021-04-13 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka - Farmers move to occupy a critical elephant corridor in Sri Lanka 2021-03-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - 83 Wild Elephants killed since January 2021 – Sri Lanka Officials 2021-03-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - 6150 hectares allocated for elephant reserve 2021-03-09 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan Tusker Rewatha found dead in Kala Wewa 2021-01-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to conduct elephant census after 10 years 2021-01-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Horowpothana Holding Ground report: Search for missing elephants in July 2021-01-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - WALSAPUGALA PROTEST DEMANDS ELEPHANT RESERVE GAZETTE 2021-01-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - DRONE TECHNOLOGY TO CHASE ELEPHANTS 2020-12-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka ranks as the country which killed the largest number of Elephants in the world – COPA 2020-11-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Report on illegal capture, trade of wild elephants in Sri Lanka 2020-10-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT SOARS IN SRI LANKA; GREEN ACTIVISTS BLAME HABITAT LOSS 2020-10-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Wild Elephants Spotted Foraging for Food in Trash Dump Encroaching on Their Land in Sri Lanka 2020-09-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Overpopulation at Pinnawala discussed in Sri Lankas Parliament- 2020-09-27 - Mahaveli, Sri Lanka - Mahaveli is a success. But …. 2020-09-26 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage runs risk of being blacklisted: Minister 2020-09-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka - Uda Walawe’s iconic elephant Rambo to be translocated 2020-09-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Online misinformation follows rare sighting of baby elephant twins in Sri Lanka 2020-09-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Responding to decision to move Dep. of Zoological Gardens under Ministry of Tourism 2020-09-06 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka - wildlife officials have rescued a baby elephant that had fallen into a muddy swamp 2020-07-09 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka - Rare Baby Elephant Twins Spotted in Sri Lankan National Park 2019-09-25 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka - 70-Year-Old Frail Elephant In Sri Lanka Whose Photos Sparked Outrage Dies 2016-11-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Jumbo Leap Over Courts To Swindle Baby Elephants 2016-11-24 - , Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka bans use of young elephants for work 2016-11-03 - Hambegamuwa, Sri Lanka - Baby elephant found tied to a tree in Hambegamuwa 2016-11-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka cracks down on owners of elephants taken from wild 2016-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Asian elephant herds lack clear matriarchs, strict hierarchies: new study 2016-10-09 - , Sri Lanka - Galkiriyagama wildlife officers treat wounded tusker 2016-08-20 - Kelaniya, Sri Lanka - Asian Elephants in Culture & Nature 2016-03-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Thirty eight illegally caught elephants in Wildlife custody - AG 2015-11-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Infrasound radar listens for elephant rumbles to warn villagers 2015-11-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka - Rehabilitated elephants can be good moms! 2015-04-20 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Lanka’s first Open Air Zoo will open today 2015-04-12 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka - Raising his voice against “a stolen generation” of elephant 2015-04-09 - Oruwala, Sri Lanka - UPDATE: Attempt to seize Oruwala elephants engaged in Polo results in jumbo encounter 2014-08-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Kandy Perahera 2014 2014-05-03 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka - Investigations on poaching an elephant calf from Udawala sanctuary : Video 2014-05-02 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka - Attempt to abduct elephant calf from Udawalawe averted 2014-02-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - No harm in gifting baby elephants – Minister 2014-01-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - President Mahinda Rajapaksa gifted two baby elephants to the Sri Lanka Army and the Police 2013-12-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Little elephant is the first scientific record of dwarfism in the wild 2013-12-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan elephant amnesty will lead to poaching, warn conservationists 2013-11-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Four elephants killed by illegal electric fence in Southern Sri Lanka 2013-11-01 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - To Cull or not to Cull? 2013-10-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Mulling over culling of elephants in Sri Lanka 2013-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Indian elephant expert critical of conservation methods in Sri Lanka 2013-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephant race scrapped on Sri Lanka"s new trunk road 2013-09-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Registering illegally captured elephants: Environmentalists up in arms against amnesty period 2013-08-27 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka - Is Rambo the famous elephant of Uda Walawe National Park dead? 2013-06-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Myanmar gifts a baby tusker to Sri Lankan Temple 2013-04-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Survey of Elephants 2013-04-10 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Oil anointing for 100 elephants 2013-03-19 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Pinnawala Zoo 2013-03-11 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Record income from Pinnawala Orphanage 2013-01-13 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Blind Pinnawala Raja dies 2012-12-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Workshops to solve human-elephant conflict 2012-12-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Relocating Elephants Backfires 2012-11-13 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Two jumbos killed, another wounded 2012-11-06 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka"s begging wild elephants: making it safer for man and animal 2012-10-21 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Video: "Kora Aliya" tranquilized 2012-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to send two Pinnawala elephants to Prague zoo 2012-08-29 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Two baby elephants from Pinnawala to Japan 2012-07-31 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Religion Journal: How to Dress an Elephant 2012-06-10 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Mass christening of baby elephants held in Sri Lanka 2012-04-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Lightning kills a temple tusker in Sri Lanka 2012-02-11 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka - If you’ve seen one elephant, have you seen them all? "A horse is a horse" – but is any elephant just another elephant? 2012-02-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Annual Nawam Maha Perahera at Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo 2012-02-02 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Elephants in Sri Lanka 2012-02-01 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Elephant captive breeding history and Hall of fame 2012-01-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Thrill-seekers take jumbo-size risks 2012-01-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Human-elephant conflict escalates in Sri Lanka. Call for a long-term focus - not electric fences 2012-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Pregnant female jumbo felled by shotgun in Sri Lanka 2012-01-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Prince and Princess Michael of Kent visit Lanka 2012-01-08 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Highest elephant births turnout for Pinnawela Orphanage 2012-01-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Dehivela Zoo, Pinnawela elephant orphanage gets record income 2011-12-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - New sanctuaries for jumbos in Sri Lanka 2011-11-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - First budget with serious proposals for human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka 2011-11-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Jumbos hit by trains: When will these tragedies end? 2011-09-28 - Yala, Sri Lanka - Elephants do as they please: Monaragala villagers can only watch 2011-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - The Hunt For A Stolen Elephant 2011-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Speed limit for trains to protect elephants 2011-09-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to donate baby elephant to Philippines" Manila zoo 2011-08-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - First ever Sri Lanka National Elephant Survey: Elephant boom in North 2011-08-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephant calf sacrificed for President’s Prana Pooja 2011-08-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - An elegy to Millangoda Raja 2011-08-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - 2011-07-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Villagers block junction demanding solution to Human-Elephant Conflict 2011-07-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - The dynamics of social networks among female Asian elephants 2011-07-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Navam Raja, no more 2011-06-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephant holding grounds coming soon 2011-06-05 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Baby elephant drowns 2011-05-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Million Rupees For An Elephant 2011-05-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Anxious moment 2011-04-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Dehivela Zoo organizes video clip contest for visitors 2011-04-05 - Vavuniya, Sri Lanka - Two elephants injuried in landmine blast 2011-04-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Govt to do away with jumbo translocation 2011-04-03 - Sinharaja, Sri Lanka - Elephants still lurking around in Sinharaja 2011-03-19 - , Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka Wildlife Ministry builds a new interim elephant orphanage 2011-03-18 - Rambukkana, Sri Lanka - Another birth at Pinnawala 2011-02-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Jumbos stranded due to floods 2011-01-30 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Three more mahouts interdicted 2011-01-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Nearly Rs 300 m allocated 2011-01-17 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Mahout’s spear brings death to elephant 2010-12-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to conduct population census on wild elephants 2010-12-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to deploy Civil Defense Force to curb man-elephant conflict 2010-12-08 - Pinnawala, Sri Lanka - Elephant calf that strayed ends in Pinnawela 2010-11-24 - Galgamuwa, Sri Lanka - Jumbo dies in re-location bid 2010-10-27 - Kekirawa, Sri Lanka - Field days for wild elephants in Kekirawa 2010-10-26 - Trincomalee, Sri Lanka - Twist of fate 2010-09-06 - Mahaweva, Sri Lanka - SRI LANKA: Returning IDPs face jumbo squatters 2010-08-25 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Annual Esala Great Parade kicks off in Sri Lanka 2010-08-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Can there be peraheras without elephants? Traditions may change without their participation 2010-08-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka vets go on strike over elephants 2010-08-10 - Kaduruwewa tank, Sri Lanka - Mysterious baby elephant’s death 2010-08-09 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka - Revisiting "The Gathering" of elephants at Minneriya National Park 2010-08-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - “Stumpy” chosen winning name of cricket World Cup’s elephant mascot 2010-07-27 - Kobeiganei, Sri Lanka - Poachers Arrested With Wilpattu Elephant Tusks 2010-07-12 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Jumbo out of mud-hole; treated 2010-07-06 - Huruluwewa, Sri Lanka - Elephant killed, calf missing 2010-05-17 - LUNUGAMWEHERA, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka seeks harmony between elephants and humans 2010-04-25 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - At Sri Lankan elephant orphanage, dung is in business 2010-03-29 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Moves to minimise human - elephant conflict underway 2010-03-02 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - She elephant shot dead 2009-11-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Monk dies after elephant attack 2009-10-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - ‘Must jumbo’ at Dehivela zoo becomes restless 2009-10-22 - Kurunegala, Sri Lanka - Increase in death of wild jumbos 2009-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Experts debate jumbo problem 2009-10-10 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Profiting from poop 2009-09-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Suspect in cub- elephant case flees country 2009-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Rabies among elephants in Sri Lanka 2009-09-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Bindu with new concept for Lankan cinema by Somaratne Dissanayake and Renuka Balasuriya at Sandeshaya Sri Lanka 2009-09-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Understanding elephants and finding solutions to HEC 2009-08-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Kublai Khan - The end of a majestic trail 2009-08-30 - Karuwalagaswewa, Sri Lanka - Baby jumbo rescued from flooded quarry 2009-08-25 - Kumbikkulama, Sri Lanka - Human, elephant conflict continues 2009-08-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Fundamental rights petition withdrawn 2009-08-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Baby elephant racket bared in Balangoda 2009-08-10 - Kadugannawa, Sri Lanka - Only 98 domesticated elephants now in Sri Lanka 2009-08-09 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Agonising death in 2007 of a Maligawa elephant 2009-08-09 - Balangoda, Sri Lanka - Balangoda calf linked to baby elephant racket 2009-07-29 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Massive crowds at first Kumbal Perahera 2009-07-27 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Baby elephants spark fighting in Sri Lanka 2009-04-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Dr. Miththapala on elephants 2009-02-13 - Hambantota, Sri Lanka - Land for jumbos 2009-02-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - New jumbo transit home 2009-01-17 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka - Second zoo in Sri Lanka to be opened in June 2009-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Two thousand jumbo deaths from 1990 to 2007 2009-01-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Wild life experts lock horns over baby elephant transfers 2008-12-18 - Buttala, Sri Lanka - tree tops wins wild Asia tourism award 2008-11-14 - Kurunegala correspondent, Sri Lanka - Policy to minimise human elephant conflict 2008-10-17 - Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka - Friday: day in pictures - Sri Lanka 2008-10-11 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Measures to detain wild elephants 2008-10-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephant protection societies mooted to minimise human-elephant conflict 2008-10-06 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka rescues five wild elephants during the last 5 days 2008-10-06 - Minneriya, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka hopes elephants can revive tourism trade 2008-10-05 - , Sri Lanka - The fall of Ravana 2008-09-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to upgrade the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala 2008-09-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Constructive measures have been put in place to solve the Human -elephant conflict 2008-09-21 - Akkaraipattu, Sri Lanka - Elephants take two more lives 2008-09-20 - Mahaweli, Sri Lanka - Increase in elephant population in Mahaweli areas 2008-09-11 - Polpithigama, Sri Lanka - Villagers fume after wild elephant kills man 2008-09-05 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - New laws on tamed elephants 2008-09-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Human-elephant conflict cost lives in Sri Lanka 2008-09-02 - Mahavilachchiya, Sri Lanka - Drunken elephants play hell at Mahavilachchiya 2008-09-01 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Nearly 120 jumbo deaths every year 2008-08-30 - Puttlalam, Sri Lanka - No crops, no compensation. Puttalam farmers say they may have to quit farming as human-elephant conflict rages on 2008-08-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - VIDEO: Elephant Runs Loose. It"s an increasing sight as many of the elephants stray into human settlement areas in search of food. 2008-08-24 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Abductions go to the wilds. A jumbo baby-smuggling racket, centred around the wilds in Habarana, has wildlife officials concerned 2008-08-24 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Call to protect elephants 2008-08-24 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Are elephants happy at peraheras ? 2008-08-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - The preservation of the elephant population in the wild warrants urgent evaluation 2008-08-20 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Are Peraheras only of Elephants? 2008-08-17 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Elephants, acrobats enliven Sri Lankan Buddhist festival 2008-08-14 - Matale, Sri Lanka - Elephant tramples man to death 2008-08-11 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - They have what it takes to make eco-friendly paper. An elephant orphanage hits upon a simple solution to a messy problem 2008-06-03 - Anuradhapura , Sri Lanka - Elephants caught in Sri Lanka war 2008-03-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephants as casualties of war in Sri Lanka 2008-03-24 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Man-jumbo conflict again in Anuradhapura 2008-03-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Walk through our world 2008-03-21 - Dambulla, Sri Lanka - Vegetables thrown to wild elephants 2008-03-19 - PIMBURELLEGAMA,, Sri Lanka - Wild elephants fall victim to Sri Lanka war strategy 2008-03-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Cruel jaws of death. Elephants are falling victim to an improvised explosive, Hakka Patas, used by poachers in wildlife parks 2008-03-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Wild elephants hold up Sri Lanka vote: police 2008-03-08 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - The real poop on paper 2008-03-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - No reasons to fear that elephant population is diminishing. A new transition from human-elephant conflict to human-elephant coexistence 2008-03-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Jungle rumble: The battle goes on 2008-02-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - "Asokamala" essentially a captive animal - Wildlife Director 2008-02-17 - Yala, Sri Lanka - Where no man nor beast is vile From a hungry jumbo to little squirrels, the chief incumbent of Sithulpauwa. Raja Maha vihara welcomes all of them with food and loving kindness 2008-02-03 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Srilal follows Tranquil Footsteps 2007-12-31 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka - Pinnawela"s "Suranimala" creates a surprise for visitors 2007-12-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Asokamala safe for now 2007-11-24 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Jumbo in the Supreme Court. What are the laws regarding the gifting of protected animals by Sri Lanka? 2007-10-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - A sigh of relief for "Asokamala" 2007-10-21 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephant to Armenia with or without permission? 2007-10-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Follow India and ban gifting animals to foreign countries 2007-10-18 - Gagani Weerakoon, Sri Lanka - Govt. to gift jumbo despite protests 2007-10-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Lankan jumbo to Armenia 2007-10-15 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephant - human conflict takes its toll in Sri Lanka 2007-09-23 - Sammanturai, Sri Lanka - Marauding jumbo claims little girls life 2007-09-22 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - 117 elephants killed so far this year in Sri Lanka 2007-09-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka elephant population grew within last 50 years 2007-09-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - More elephants to be gifted after November 2007-09-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Forty wild elephants killed in Trincomalee district in 2007 2007-09-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE 2007-09-08 - Buttala, Sri Lanka - Elephant Lodge. Sri Lanka eco-lodge on track for global award 2007-09-05 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Lack of tamed elephants poser to Peraheras 2007-09-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Forty-sixth elephant cub born in Sri Lanka elephant orphanage named 2007-08-31 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Rs. 10 billion needed to manage wild elephants of Sri Lanka 2007-08-29 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - MOU to protect the elephant population of Sri Lanka 2007-08-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Forty-sixth elephant cub born in captivity at Pinnawala Orphanage in Sri Lanka 2007-08-26 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Forty-sixth elephant cub born in captivity at Pinnawala Orphanage in Sri Lanka 2007-08-25 - Kantale, Sri Lanka - Express train mows down three more elephants 2007-08-23 - Mawanella, Sri Lanka - Sri Lankas tallest elephant dead 2007-08-19 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Nowhere to go. Environmentalists trumpet warnings over agriculture farm blocking elephant corridor 2007-08-17 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Pilot project to conserve elephants in Sri Lanka 2007-08-05 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Tuskers from Myanmar ready for Perahera 2007-08-05 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Dont make national parks ghettos for our elephants. Jayantha Jayewardene, Managing Trustee of the Biodiversity & Elephant Conservation Trust offers some points to ponder on the human- elephant conflict 2007-08-03 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Number of tamed elephants dropped to 137 in Sri Lanka 2007-07-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Dumbo gets stuck at the jumbo sale in Colombo 2007-07-22 - Kurunegala, Sri Lanka - Elephants run amok at Kurunegala perahera 2007-07-08 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Kandy Esala Perahera in Sri Lanka. One of the world"s grandest and most spectacular elephant street parades and processions. 2007-06-18 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Chandani - The Daughter of the Elephant Whisperer 2007-05-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - More elephants die by home guards" weapons in Sri Lanka 2007-04-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Mysteries behind animal prophesy 2007-04-26 - Lunugamvehera, Sri Lanka - Ignored Policy and Imprisoned Elephants 2007-04-23 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka - More orphan elephant cubs released to the jungles of Sri Lanka 2007-04-07 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Jumbo lives going for a six 2007-04-01 - Lunugamvehera National Park, Sri Lanka - Driven to death 2007-03-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka Wildlife Protection Society, boost to local wildlife conservation 2007-03-10 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Rogue Tiger cadres killed Army and Wild Life Officials involved on a drinking water mission for elephants 2007-03-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - 1850 elephants killed in Sri Lanka in the past 15 years 2007-03-04 - Yala National Park, Sri Lanka - A pilot project aims at making chena cultivators, the elephants’ number one enemy, their very protectors. 2007-02-24 - Galle, Sri Lanka - Elephant tournament attracts over 600 foreigners 2007-02-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Villagers at the mercy of wild elephants 2007-02-16 - PINNAWELA, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka will gift a Samadhi Buddha Statue and a baby elephant to China to mark the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic ties between the two countries. 2007-02-15 - GALLE, Sri Lanka - Elephant goes wild at polo tournament, takes on minibus 2007-02-14 - Galle, Sri Lanka - 6th Annual Sri Lanka elephant Polo tournament 2007-02-13 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Elephants of Sri Lanka 2007-02-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Lyn de Alwis is dead. He was one with the wilds and colleagues 2007-02-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Navam Perahera at Gangaramaya Temple, Colombo 2007-02-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Tamed elephant owners in Sri Lanka woe over lack of animals 2007-01-25 - Yala, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka grapples with elephant-human conflict 2007-01-16 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Human-elephant conflict killed 64 wild elephants and 20 people in northwestern Sri Lanka last year 2007-01-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to present elephant calf to China 2006-12-05 - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka - Thirteen elephants die in rail accidents in Sri Lanka"s Polonnaruwa district 2006-11-17 - Kandy, Sri Lanka - Reflections from Sri Lanka 2006-11-12 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Protest halts auction of rogue elephants in Sri Lanka 2006-10-25 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Future of Sri Lankan Elephants: the wild or the sheltered? 2006-10-20 - Udawalawe, Sri Lanka - The Pondering Elephant in Udawalawe National Park 2006-10-09 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Wild elephants kill 3 villagers in Sri Lanka 2006-06-14 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Elephant gives birth at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka 2006-05-18 - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka to capture, retrain rogue elephants to work on conservation program 2006-05-04 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Human-elephant conflict grows in Sri Lanka 2006-02-11 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka Elephants Raise Funds for Their Upkeep 2006-02-04 - Lusaka, Sri Lanka - SLA mines injure Mannar elephants 2006-01-28 - Galle, Sri Lanka - Elephant Polo 2006 Marks Tsunami Recovery for Sri Lanka 2005-07-26 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka Environment Ministry drives wild elephants to Wilpaththu 2005-04-28 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Asian Development Bank to protect Sri Lanka"s elephants 2004-12-23 - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka express hits elephants 2004-12-20 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - One elephant dies, another injured in train crash 2004-10-18 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Asian elephant conservationists go to Kenya 2004-10-06 - KEGALLA, Sri Lanka - Living with jumbo handicaps -Sama at the Pinnawela orphanage 2004-10-02 - Pinnawela, Sri Lanka - Elephant Conservation and Breeding Centre:More space for Pinnawela elephants 2004-09-02 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - Yala National Park in Sri Lanka closed as thirsty elephants see red 2004-07-30 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - White elephant spotted in Sri Lanka - Albino pachyderm may boost conservation efforts 1999-01-23 - Colombo, Sri Lanka - First reported case of elephant rabies in Sri Lanka

20 years on Internet!

ELEPHANT NEWS was created on 2001 in Munich, and relaunched in Phnom Penh in 2020, with almost 8 000 links to news articles about elephants on the Internet

A number of articles now also have a cross reference to the elephant database, either for individuals elephants and/or to an article about the location holding

In the right column, you can also see if an elephant has birthday today, and follow the link to more facts!

medical

Third elephant tests positive for virus at Dublin Zoo

2024-07-10 - Dublin, Ireland.

Dublin Zoo has confirmed that a third elephant has tested positive for a virus which has left two other elephants dead over the last ten days. Eight-year-old Avani and seven-year-old Zinda died from E...


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medical

Houston Zoo Elephant Receives First Ever mRNA EEHV Vaccine

2024-06-18 - Houston, United States. Houston Zoo

Tess, a 40-year-old Asian elephant at Houston Zoo, has been given the first-ever dose of an mRNA vaccine created by virologists at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) to prevent the deadly elephant endot...


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birth

Blackpool Zoo confirms 2 elephants are expecting babies

2024-04-26 - Blackpool, United Kingdom.

The latest round of pregnancy tests at Blackpool Zoo has revealed that two of its elephants are expecting babies. Mother and daughter Noorjahan and Esha are both pregnant and due to give birth in late...


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death

RIP 2 year old “Chi Pich”

2024-04-02 - Sen Monorom, Cambodia.

There was sad news from Mondulkiri Province, with the death of 2 year old elephant “Chi Pich” being announced. Sources from the Elephant Livelihood Initiative Environment Organization (ELIE) said ...


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Extern relevant Links (external link which opens in new window):
EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus)


Extern relevant Links (external link which opens in new window):
EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus)
death

Popular tusker Mangalamkunnu Ayyappan dies

2024-03-26 - Kochi, India.

Popular tusker Mangalamkunnu Ayyappan, 55, 55, died at Mangalamkunnu in Palakkad on Monday. The elephant owned by M A Haridasan had been under treatment for the past few months.


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birth

Pinnawala Orphanage sees birth of 76th calf

2024-03-23 - Kegalle, Sri Lanka.

The 76th elephant calf was born at the Rambukkana Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on March 20.This baby elephant was born to 32-year-old she-elephant Shanthi and 19-year-old Pandu at the Pinnawala Elepha...


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Extern Link Read about Pinnawala elephant orphanage in the Elephant Database
organisation

SANParks partners with neighbouring nations to benefit communities

2024-03-23 - Pretoria, South Africa.

In the ongoing efforts to curb poaching and snaring of animals within the Zimbabwe and Mozambique borders, South African National Parks (SANParks) is working to create more partnerships with neighbour...


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event

Toledo Zoo Shares the Name of Precious New Baby Elephant

2024-03-15 - , United States.

After weeks of voting and thousands of submissions, the Toledo Zoo has officially chosen the name of their precious baby elephant and we're personally thrilled about the news! Ladies and gentleman, Ki...


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Extern Link Read about Toledo Zoo in the Elephant DatabasePress Release: The Toledo Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby elephant, born to African elephant, Renee.Press Release: The Toledo Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a healthy baby elephant, born to African elephant, Renee.
birth

Reid Park Zoo welcomes new baby elephant

2024-03-09 - Tucson, United States.

A baby elephant was born at Reid Park Zoo. The zoo said Semba, the facility’s African elephant matriarch, gave birth to a 265-pound calf around 3:31 a.m. Friday, March 8. Reid Park Zoo said the calf...


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event

Baby elephant in Copenhagen named after Thai river

2024-03-04 - Copenhagen, Denmark.

A female baby elephant in Copenhagen Zoo has been named Chin after the Tha Chin river in central Thailand. The elephant was born last week in the Danish zoo. The zookeepers, who take care of the young...


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Extern Link Read about Copenhagen Zoo in the Elephant Database
conflict

This elephant misses his mahout, authorities seek police help

2024-02-29 - Alappuzha, India.

Evoor Kannan, the elephant known for his murderous rage and with a history of killing two mahouts is in a bad mood these days. He had been gentle under the care of his former Mahout Sharath Parippally...


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Extern Link Read about Evoor Major Sri Krishnaswamy Temple in the Elephant Database
birth

Third elephant calf born in Beekse Bergen

2024-02-20 - Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands.

African elephant Punda has become the mother of a healthy elephant calf after a 22-month pregnancy. This is the third calf born in the Safari Park Beekse Bergen k in four months. Never before have thr...


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Extern Link Read about Beekse Bergen Safaripark in the Elephant Database
death

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium’s elephant calf dies at age 2

2024-02-15 - Pittsburgh, United States.

The zoo said Tsuni died Thursday after a sudden, brief battle with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Her EEHV was detected through routine blood testing on Feb. 8, even though she presente...


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Extern Link Read about Fairhope Conservation Center in the Elephant Database

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The Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus


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The Elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus
death

Farewell to Seoul"s oldest elephant passing at age of 59

2024-02-15 - Seoul, South Korea.

The oldest female elephant in South Korea passed away Tuesday at a zoo in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at the age of 59, zoo officials said Thursday. The female elephant, named Sakura, had suffered fr...


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Extern Link Read about Seoul Grand Park Zoo in the Elephant Database
birth

A star is born: Baby elephant debuts

2024-01-30 - Bangalore, India.

The Bannerghatta Biological Park is brimming with excitement as it welcomes a delightful new addition—a baby boy elephant calf. This adorable arrival brings the elephant count in the Bannerghatta zo...


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Extern Link Read about Bannerghatta Biological Park Zoo in the Elephant Database
death

Guruvayur Kannan, nine-time winner of elephant race, dies at 62

2024-01-27 - Guruvayur, India.

Elephant Kannan, of the Guruvayur Devaswom Elephant Camp, a nine-time winner of the festival-related elephant race, has passed away. His demise was around 5:30 pm on Saturday. The tusker's age at the ...


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Extern Link Read about Guruvayur Devaswom elephant camp in the Elephant Database
poaching

A baby elephant is found dead

2024-01-27 - Koh Nhek, Cambodia.

Villagers found a baby elephant dead in Koh Nhek district, Mondulkiri province in the middle of the forest​ on January 26, 2024, suspected of being shot. Mondulkiri Provincial department of environm...


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evolution

Discoveries: The Evolutionary Edge of Elephant Trunks and Ancient Giants

2024-01-13 - Beijing, China.

A recent study published in the journal eLife has uncovered new findings on the development of dextrous trunks by indigenous elephants. According to Dr. Shi-Qi Wang, a senior author of the research, t...


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poaching

Alleged poaching kills 46-year-old Sumatran elephant in Riau park

2024-01-13 - Pekanbaru, Indonesia.

The Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan District, Riau Province, again lost one of its Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) after a poacher allegedly killed it for its tusks. The 46-year...


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Extern Link Read about Tesso Nilo WWF-BKSDA Flying Squad camp in the Elephant Database
fossil

Celebration of Elephants: A Must-see New Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History

2024-01-11 - New York, United States.

In a narrow but sprawling curatorial space at the uptown museum, The Secret World of Elephants, now opened, tells the story of elephant species and their relatives through life-size models, videos, gr...


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Elephant News

ELEPHANT NEWS

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