First country-wide survey of the Endangered Asian elephant: towards better conservation and management in Sri Lanka

Abstract The Endangered Asian elephant Elephas maximus comes into widespread conflict with agrarian communities, necessitating active management. The species’ distribution is of primary importance for management planning. However, data-based countrywide distribution maps have not been available for any of the 13 Asian elephant range states. We conducted a 5 × 5 km grid-based questionnaire survey in Sri Lanka to produce an island-wide elephant distribution map. Elephants occur over 59.9% of Sri Lanka and people are resident in 69.4% of elephant range, indicating the challenge of separating people and elephants at a landscape scale. Elephants in Sri Lanka have lost 16.1% of their range since 1960 but their current distribution remains largely contiguous. We found the range of adult males was 15.1% greater, and less seasonal, than that of herds, possibly because males have a higher tolerance for conflict with people. The distribution of conflict coincided with the co-occurrence of humans and elephants. We conclude that a human–elephant coexistence model is the only viable option for effectively mitigating human–elephant conflict and conserving elephants in Sri Lanka. The findings are currently being used to effect a paradigm change in elephant conservation and management in the country.

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The asian elephant: Conservation and management

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/0006-3207(90)90141-b ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 165-166

Author(s):

Malcolm Coe

Keyword(s):

Asian Elephant ◽

Elephant Conservation ◽

Conservation And Management

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Elephants as companion species: the lively biogeographies of Asian elephant conservation in Sri Lanka

Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers ◽

10.1111/j.1475-5661.2010.00395.x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 491-506 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Jamie Lorimer

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Asian Elephant ◽

Companion Species ◽

Elephant Conservation

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Analysis of Human-Elephant Conflict in Sri-Lanka by The Win-Win-Win Papakonstantinidis Model

International Journal of Economics Business and Entrepreneurship ◽

10.23960/ijebe.v2i1.44 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Leonidas A. Papakonstantinidis ◽

T.G Supun Lahiru Prakash

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Asian Elephant ◽

Significant Component ◽

Asian Elephants ◽

Free Range ◽

Elephant Conservation ◽

Socio Economic Development ◽

Elephant Population

Asian Elephants have been revered for centuries and playing an important role in the continent's culture and religion where they habitat. Sri Lanka plays an important role in Asian elephant conservation in accommodating more than 10% of the global Asian elephant population in less than 2% of global Asian elephant range. Human – Elephant conflict (HEC) is a significant component in Socio – economic development in Sri Lanka and conservation of free range elephnats. In this study we attempted to Analysis Human-elephant conflict in Sri-Lanka using the win-win-win Papakonstantinidis model.

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Cetacean habitat modelling to inform conservation management, marine spatial planning, and as a basis for anthropogenic threat mitigation in Indonesia

10.1101/2020.07.14.203240 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Achmad Sahri ◽

Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra ◽

Putu Liza Kusuma Mustika ◽

Danielle Kreb ◽

Albertinka J. Murk

Keyword(s):

Spatial Planning ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Traffic Density ◽

Individual Species ◽

Marine Spatial Planning ◽

Suitable Habitat ◽

Cetacean Species ◽

Management Planning ◽

Marine Traffic ◽

Conservation And Management

ABSTRACTIndonesia harbours a high diversity of cetaceans, yet effective conservation is hampered by a lack of knowledge about cetacean spatial distribution and habitat preferences. This study aims to address this knowledge gap at an adequate resolution to support national cetacean conservation and management planning. Maximum Entropy (Maxent) modelling was used to map the distribution of 15 selected cetacean species in seven areas within Indonesian waters using recent cetacean presence datasets as well as environmental predictors (topographic and oceanographic variables). We then combined the individual species suitable habitat maps and overlaid them with provincial marine spatial planning (MSP) jurisdictions, marine protected areas (MPAs), oil and gas contract areas, and marine traffic density. Our results reflect a great heterogeneity in distribution among species and within species among different locations. This heterogeneity reflects an interrelated influence of topographic variables and oceanographic processes on the distribution of cetacean species. Bathymetry, distance to-coast and −200m isobaths, and Chl and SST were important variables influencing distribution of most species in many regions. Areas rich in species were mainly related to high coastal or insular-reef complexity, representing high productivity and upwelling-modified waters. Although some important suitable habitats currently fall within MPAs, other areas are not and overlap with oil and gas exploration activities and marine traffic, indicating potentially high risk areas for cetaceans. The results of this study can support national cetacean conservation and management planning, and be used to reduce or avoid adverse anthropogenic threats. We advise considering currently unprotected suitable cetacean habitats in MPA and MSP development.

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Morphology and Molecular Characterization of Parabronema smithii (Cobbold, 1882) (Nematoda: Habronematidae) from Wild Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) of Sri Lanka

Acta Parasitologica ◽

10.2478/s11686-020-00193-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 65 (2) ◽

pp. 504-517

Author(s):

Lasanthika D. Thewarage ◽

Duminda S. B. Dissanayake ◽

Udari S. Perera ◽

Anura T. Bandara ◽

B. V. P. Perera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Molecular Characterization ◽

Asian Elephant ◽

Elephas Maximus

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Morphology and surface topography of the schistosome Bivitellobilharzia nairi from the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) in Sri Lanka

Journal of Helminthology ◽

10.1017/s0022149x12000417 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 87 (3) ◽

pp. 348-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R.P.V.J. Rajapakse ◽

M. Iwagami ◽

S. Wickramasinghe ◽

S.M. Walker ◽

T. Agatsuma

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Liver Parenchyma ◽

Asian Elephant ◽

Elephas Maximus ◽

Morphological Description ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Sem Study ◽

Indian Elephant ◽

Scanning Electron

AbstractBivitellobilharzia nairi was first recorded from an Indian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Berlin. Infections with this parasite have become increasingly important in E. maximus maximus populations in Sri Lanka. The present work is the first morphological description of this schistosome from Sri Lanka. A number of adult worms were recovered from a dead Asian elephant near the elephant orphanage, Pinnawala, in Sri Lanka. The observed clinical features of the infected elephant included emaciation, subventral oedema and anaemia. Post-mortem results indicated that the liver was enlarged and adult schistosomes were found in the blood vessels of the liver parenchyma. The total number of worms recovered from a portion of the liver was 129,870, which is an average of 22 worms per 100 g of liver. The present study uses both light microscopic and scanning electron microscope (SEM) techniques for the morphological and topographical characterization of this parasite and to permit comparison with other species of schistosomes. Morphologically, these worms correspond very well to the description of B. nairi by Dutt & Srivastava (1955). Moreover, it is clear that B. nairi is a distinctive species easily differentiated from other schistosomes. The SEM study of the tegument of male worms shows that the surface of B. nairi is smoother than in other schistosomes.

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