I spent the last 8 years in the wild photographing and observing the magnificence of Sri Lanka’s spectacular wilderness and being blessed to experience its diversity. It occurred to me that I should take on a deeper interest. And learn the science behind the glamour and stories of wildlife. I completing a Masters in Biodiversity, Environment Management and Eco tourism. For my thesis, I set out to complete a research on a topic I hold dear to my heart. A species that I have found to mesmerise and fascinate me. The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). 

I began a year long research to study the population of the Sri Lankan elephant along the bordering villages of the Tabbowa Sanctuary.  Human Elephant conflict is high in this region. The purpose is to study the change in the population of elephants over a period of 12 months in this region. Both  cultivating seasons of “Yala” and “Maha” are captured in this time frame. The reason is the Sri Lankan elephant population in an area and harvesting season can have a strong co relation. 

Alot of trekking, scouting locations, speaking with farmers, meeting officials in the area has to be done. To gather information required to understand  areas to concentrate my efforts. The first few weeks I with the help of the wildlife department officers found places to set up my trap cameras. An immense effort was placed in terms of trekking through jungle for miles on end to find and identify suitable water holes in the forest that are frequented by elephants. Hours of walking under the cool forest canopy we visited 6 different locations. Before finally deciding where best to place our trap cameras. 

The next step, meeting people, all stake holders from all walks of life in the area, farmers, cattle herders, shop owners etc in order to understand the impact of elephants. Questionnaires and surveys were handed out to these individuals. Some just once while the others on a daily basis. 

Its gonna be an interesting time with amazing experiences ahead, encounters with the rare and exploration of the lesser known. 

Updates on the progress will be posted