Sri Lankan elephant numbers 'healthy', survey suggests

Sri Lanka's first nationwide census of its wild elephant population suggests it is "in good health", officials say.

Sri Lankan officials said 7,379 elephants were found, with 5,879 seen near parks and sanctuaries and another 1,500 estimated to be elsewhere.

The Wildlife Conservation Department said before the count it thought just 5,350 members of the endangered species lived in the island country.

Some environmentalists in Sri Lanka have queried the survey's methodology.

In 'good health'
The three-day survey began on 11 August and classified the animals by age and sex.

Wildlife Conservation Department director HD Ratnayake said 3,500 people had set up 1,533 counting posts near watering holes, irrigation tanks and lakes commonly used by elephants.

"We have an elephant population which is in good health and its population growth is also very good," Mr Ratnayake told reporters in Colombo.

The survey counted 1,107 baby elephants, he added.

Use in festivals
Conservationist Prithviraj Fernando told the BBC elephants could visit a number of different watering holes in one night. Dr Fernando said the radio tracking of about 50 elephants in Sri Lanka had provided a wealth of information that could be used to plan for the animals' future.

A group of around 30 conservation organisations had boycotted the census after Sri Lanka's wildlife minister reportedly said it would be used to identify strong young elephant calves, to be "donated" to temples for use in festivals.

The mainly Buddhist population of Sri Lanka revere elephants as sacred, with captive elephants fulfilling ceremonial roles for priests and kings since ancient times.

Officials later denied the census would lead to elephants being taken captive, saying the data would instead be used to formulate policies to protect the animals. It would also be used to mitigate the conflict between farmers and free-ranging elephants, they said.

Officials say nearly 200 elephants are killed annually when they stray into agricultural areas, while marauding elephants are said to kill some 50 people each year.

It is the first survey of elephant numbers since Sri Lanka's military crushed a decades-long uprising by Tamil Tiger rebels in May 2009.

The civil war had prevented researchers counting elephants in the north and south of the country during a similar survey in 1993 that found 1,967 elephants. In 1900 the elephant population was estimated to stand at 10,000 to 15,000.

Sri Lanka survey results:

• 7,379 elephants in total


• 1,107 baby elephants


• 122 tuskers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14767882

The Sri Lankan elephants that got away

The Sri Lankan elephants that got away05/04/2011 20:35:32

April 2011: Wild elephants have been confirmed in the Sinharaja Forest in south-west of Sri Lanka, much to the delight of conservationists. Here environmentalist Srilal Miththapala explains the significance of the discovery and why it is such big news:

Wild elephants were found in most parts of Sri Lanka during early 1900s. However, with the rapid development of the South and South West regions, they gradually moved away, towards the Central, South Eastern and North Eastern regions.

It has long been believed that a few stragglers had survived, especially in and around the world heritage site of Sinharaja forest.

Read on

Elephant calf reunited with mother after ditch rescue

Happy ending for displaced wild elephant calf reunited with mother - Courtesy of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

December 2010. The thirty-hour ordeal of an Asian elephant calf trapped in a trench on a tea estate in eastern Assam ended on a happy note as rescuers successfully reunited it with its mother. Two captive elephants were deployed to keep the mother away from the rescue site as Assam Forest Department officials and an IFAW-WTI team helped the calf out of the trench.

Two month old calf
"The two month old male calf must have fallen into the trench when its herd was crossing the Bogapani tea estate. He was struggling to get out, and even the mother made several attempts to rescue the calf," said Forest Officer Siva Kumar. "The mother was very determined to stay with her calf, which made it difficult for us to carry out the rescue. We darted her to moderately sedate her, but she remained close to the calf, and it grew dark, so we could not complete the rescue operation on the first day."

The operation was resumed early the next day. The mother had moved away and the calf was hurriedly removed from the trench. The rescuers feared that the mother had left the calf and moved on, but she was sighted approaching the site soon after the calf was freed. The calf was walked to an open area towards its mother and released.

Second rescue

"The calf was unsteady and as it headed to its mother, it fell into another hole. Thankfully, this time the mother pulled the calf out! She began feeding it and soon the mother and the calf walked back to the forest," said Dr Abhijit Bhawal, IFAW-WTI veterinarian, who assisted in the rescue. "This is perhaps the first recorded reunion of an elephant calf separated from its herd from this area. We have attended to several cases involving displaced elephant calves earlier too, but these calves had to be admitted to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga," he added.

Releasing orphaned elephants
In another recent rescue, a calf that was found alone was admitted to the IFAW-WTI run CWRC, after reunion attempts proved unsuccessful. "Generally, when these calves are found alone, local people in their goodwill attempt to pet and touch the calf seeking blessings, as elephants are considered an embodiment of Lord Ganesha. In that case, the people had applied mustard oil and vermillion on the calf out of devotion. The calf was introduced to a herd that was nearby (which may or may not have been its natal herd), but it was abandoned and left behind," said Dr Rathin Barman, Coordinator, WTI.

This calf is currently being hand-raised at CWRC along with ten other elephant calves rescued from various parts of Assam. A few of the older calves will be relocated to Manas National Park early next year, where they will undergo a prolonged acclimatisation in the wild for reintegration with wild herds.

Five elephant calves hand-raised at CWRC have already been released in Manas NP, as part of this Elephant Reintegration Project.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=1&listitemid=9201

Elephant calf reunited with mother after ditch rescue

Happy ending for displaced wild elephant calf reunited with mother - Courtesy of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)

December 2010. The thirty-hour ordeal of an Asian elephant calf trapped in a trench on a tea estate in eastern Assam ended on a happy note as rescuers successfully reunited it with its mother. Two captive elephants were deployed to keep the mother away from the rescue site as Assam Forest Department officials and an IFAW-WTI team helped the calf out of the trench.

Two month old calf
"The two month old male calf must have fallen into the trench when its herd was crossing the Bogapani tea estate. He was struggling to get out, and even the mother made several attempts to rescue the calf," said Forest Officer Siva Kumar. "The mother was very determined to stay with her calf, which made it difficult for us to carry out the rescue. We darted her to moderately sedate her, but she remained close to the calf, and it grew dark, so we could not complete the rescue operation on the first day."

The operation was resumed early the next day. The mother had moved away and the calf was hurriedly removed from the trench. The rescuers feared that the mother had left the calf and moved on, but she was sighted approaching the site soon after the calf was freed. The calf was walked to an open area towards its mother and released.

Second rescue

"The calf was unsteady and as it headed to its mother, it fell into another hole. Thankfully, this time the mother pulled the calf out! She began feeding it and soon the mother and the calf walked back to the forest," said Dr Abhijit Bhawal, IFAW-WTI veterinarian, who assisted in the rescue. "This is perhaps the first recorded reunion of an elephant calf separated from its herd from this area. We have attended to several cases involving displaced elephant calves earlier too, but these calves had to be admitted to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga," he added.

Releasing orphaned elephants
In another recent rescue, a calf that was found alone was admitted to the IFAW-WTI run CWRC, after reunion attempts proved unsuccessful. "Generally, when these calves are found alone, local people in their goodwill attempt to pet and touch the calf seeking blessings, as elephants are considered an embodiment of Lord Ganesha. In that case, the people had applied mustard oil and vermillion on the calf out of devotion. The calf was introduced to a herd that was nearby (which may or may not have been its natal herd), but it was abandoned and left behind," said Dr Rathin Barman, Coordinator, WTI.

This calf is currently being hand-raised at CWRC along with ten other elephant calves rescued from various parts of Assam. A few of the older calves will be relocated to Manas National Park early next year, where they will undergo a prolonged acclimatisation in the wild for reintegration with wild herds.

Five elephant calves hand-raised at CWRC have already been released in Manas NP, as part of this Elephant Reintegration Project.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/do/ecco.py/view_item?listid=1&listcatid=1&listitemid=9201

Elephant ultrasound

Elephant maternity image

November 2010. With a tiny trunk already visible, this incredible image of an elephant in utero shows George, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo's new arrival, 19 months before he was born. Seen here at approximately 3 months into its 22-month pregnancy, the elephant embryo is clearly visible using 3D ultrasound scanners.

Ultrasound scans are carried out throughout the pregnancy, much like with humans, to monitor the health and well-being of mum and baby.

Now 6 months old, George weighs around 60 stone and is a boisterous member of the herd of Asian elephants at the Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/elephant-ultrasound.html

Elephant ultrasound

Elephant maternity image

November 2010. With a tiny trunk already visible, this incredible image of an elephant in utero shows George, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo's new arrival, 19 months before he was born. Seen here at approximately 3 months into its 22-month pregnancy, the elephant embryo is clearly visible using 3D ultrasound scanners.

Ultrasound scans are carried out throughout the pregnancy, much like with humans, to monitor the health and well-being of mum and baby.

Now 6 months old, George weighs around 60 stone and is a boisterous member of the herd of Asian elephants at the Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/elephant-ultrasound.html