Facilitating Human-Elephant Coexistence Around A Conflicted Corridor

The long-term goal of this project is for wild Asian elephants to continue using habitats outside of protected areas in Sri Lanka by working with wildlife authorities and local communities to enhance safety for both people and elephants.

This project focuses on a critical corridor connecting Udawalawe National Park to a larger forest complex threatened by development activities.

The project will use camera traps to understand both human and elephant use and activities outside protected areas and as a tool for community engagement.

Project activities include: 1) expansion of camera traps coverage over the entire stretch between Udawalawe and Lunugamwehera National Parks; 2) recruitment of four scouts from each of eight villages to maintain camera traps, build trust, and facilitate community engagement; 3) relate elephant behavioral data from outside to inside protected areas, analyze, and then share data with local communities; 4) implement locally-appropriate, decentralized, self-organizing elephant early-warning systems in focal villages; and 5) conduct an educational needs assessment and provide educational resources to schools eight villages.

The long-term vision is to facilitate fence-free coexistence of humans and elephants in Sri Lanka.