Elephant Conservation in Sri Lanka (Human Elephant Conflict Resolution)

Hello,

My name is Ashley Sumpter and I have a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources. I am currently a veterinary technician and am planning my pursuit for my masters in Ecology and Conservation Biology. I was selected for an internship offered by Ringling Bros and Barnum & Baileys Center for Elephant Conservation, and although I did not continue my professional or academic career with them, they opened my eyes and my heart to a world I couldn't imagine. I was fortunate to work with their Asian elephant herd and amazing staff for three months while learning about this endangered, incredible species and the torments the elephants experience in their homelands.

Recently, it has been decided the Ringling circus must phase out elephant acts by 2018 (dictated by animal activists that have never spent a day with an elephant, let alone knows how to care for one). The Ringling Bros Center for Elephant conservation has had a “commitment to caring” for more than 144 years where “studies have shown that the public display of performing elephants contributes to heightened public awareness of the animals themselves and of our responsibility for their well-being and protection. This is especially true for children, who not only become more aware of elephants and their special needs and abilities, but also experience firsthand the importance of caring for and respecting all animals.” However, future generations will now be deprived of this privilege and the possibility of the Asian elephant becoming nothing more than a character in a book or foreign creature in a movie, sickens me.

This atrocity has further motivated me to contribute to the long-term protection of endangered elephants while aiding in the sustainable development for elephants and humans.

My time spent at the CEC was consumed with not only elephant husbandry, but also learning about the homelands and the relationships between the elephants and people who are competing for the same resources – land. This struggle is recognized as the Human Elephant Conflict. The CEC is “proud of the research and animal care practices they have been able to share around the world, most recently through their partnership with the government of the small island nation of Sri Lanka.

Located off the southeastern coast of India, Sri Lanka is home to over 21 million people, all in an area about the size of the State of West Virginia. It’s small size and large number of people makes Sri Lanka one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Sri Lanka is also home to almost 6,000 Asian elephants, making it one of the most important range countries for endangered Asian elephants.

Sadly, as a result of its large population of people and elephants, sometimes there is human-elephant conflict often with fatal results for elephants.. This is one area where Ringling Bros. has been working with the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation to reduce the toll on both people and elephants.” [http://www.elephantcenter.com/ringling-bros-commitment/sri-lanka-programs/ ] This is why I am choosing Sri Lanka for my volunteer program location.

For more detailed information on this issue please watch the link about as well as the attached link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unh_bMa13ic

With this program I will be able to contribute to this cause by:

• Participating in daily ecological research on elephants
• Observing and assessing human-elephant interactions and conflicts
• Conducting local biodiversity surveys, including activities such as bird identification, butterfly observation, recording animal behavior, and leopard and/or elephant tracking
• Working with local communities to teach environmental awareness & sustainability
• Helping to monitor and evaluate innovative landscape management systems designed to buffer communities economically from elephant raids and to minimize such raids.
• Identifying rural livelihoods that adversely impact the environment and contribute to human-wildlife conflicts, and work to develop alternative livelihoods solutions

Costs included in the program fee:

• Full accommodation in gender-based shared room
• 3 prepared meals a day for duration of the program
• Daily onsite transportation in Land Rover 4WD vehicles
• Arrival hotel and airport transfer for first night’s stay in Colombo (Airport of arrival is Colombo)
• Arrival transport from Colombo to project site
• Departure transport to Colombo at the end of program
• On-site orientation on the first day
• 24/7 on-site staff support and training
• Culture & Etiquette guide book
• Greenheart Travel t-shirt
• Medical/Accident insurance
• Pre-Departure Orientation

Costs Not Included:

• Flight to Sri Lanka
• Visa to Sri Lanka
• Spending money for personal purchases or activities
• Departure airport transfer

THIS WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR ASSISTANCE. THESE AMAZING ELEPHANTS AND THE PEOPLE OF RURAL SRI LANKA NEED YOUR HELP. PLEASE DONATE.