Follow us

We enjoy building community among our followers and sharing media related to our work. Follow us on Instagram @LankaElephants to catch up with us in the field.

View fullsize
View fullsize A key part of our research involves interviewing farmers and community members to understand the factors that drive views & attitudes towards elephants and wildlife conservation. In addition to our elephant behavioral and ecological data, this al
View fullsize At the Sri Lanka Elephant Project, our research often follows a “field-to-fence” approach, where the data we gather from elephants in Sri Lanka helps us enhance the care of elephants in zoos. Additionally, the unparalleled insight into th
View fullsize Asian elephants have a complex communication system characterized by a range of vocalizations, including trumpets, roars, and low-frequency rumbles. These sounds serve various purposes, such as conveying distress, signaling warnings, and offering rea
View fullsize When viewing wild elephants, look for natural behaviors including socializing, feeding, and bathing. Our research indicates that elephants are more likely to abandon these behaviors if vehicles come within 10 meters, making a respectful distance and
View fullsize Investing in the future of elephants and other wildlife means investing in Sri Lankan conservationists. Through funding donated by the OKC Zoo, we support student-led research projects to foster growth and development in the field of conservation. Ou
View fullsize Pictured is a home that was destroyed by elephants as they moved out of protected areas in search of food. Human-elephant conflict is the reality for people living among elephants, leading to devastating consequences for both parties. With an urgent
View fullsize Asian elephants play a vital role in promoting biodiversity. As they roam through forests and grasslands, they create paths and clearings that allow the species they live amongst to thrive. They help shape their environment by dispersing seeds, creat

Community-based conservation

Our work is inspired by the human communities that live alongside elephants and other wildlife in Sri Lanka. Take a look at a video produced by the SLEP team for schoolchildren. Video narration is in Sinhala.

Field guide:
The Elephants of Sri Lanka

We created this field guide for tourists visiting and tour operators working in Sri Lanka. The guide educates readers about how our team identifies individual elephants in the field and encourages responsible wildlife viewing. The guide is currently available in English and Sinhala.

Illustrations by Cliff Casey, design by Marcel Martinez Vargas and Autumn Heigle.

The Elephants of Sri Lanka by The Sri Lanka Elephant Project is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

English version (3.8MB)

Sinhala version (3.9MB)

Research publications

As a science-based project, we believe it is important to disseminate our findings to the broader scientific community. You can read some of our research outputs here for personal or scientific use. Any other use or dissemination is prohibited by various copyright laws.

Aspects of the demography and social behaviour of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in the Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks (2024)

A.G.S. Malsha Warnapura, K.H. Darshika L. Jayarathna, Chase A. LaDue, and Rajnish P.G. Vandercone,

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Behavioral responses of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to tourist vehicles in and around Minneriya National Park (2024)

K.H. Darshika L. Jayarathna, A.G.S. Malsha Warnapura, Rajnish P.G. Vandercone, and Chase A. LaDue

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Physical and behavioral indicators associated with hormonal changes during musth in zoo-housed and free-ranging Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) (2022)

Chase A. LaDue, Kathleen E. Hunt, M.G. Sachintha M. Samaraweera, Rajnish P.G. Vandercone, Wendy K. Kiso, and Elizabeth W. Freeman

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Social behavior and group formation in male Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): The effects of age and musth in wild and zoo-housed animals (2022)

Chase A. LaDue, Rajnish P.G. Vandercone, Wendy K. Kiso, and Elizabeth W. Freeman

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Behavioral characterization of musth in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): Defining progressive stages of male sexual activity in in-situ and ex-situ populations (2022)

Chase A. LaDue, Rajnish P.G. Vandercone, Wendy K. Kiso, and Elizabeth W. Freeman

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The influence of habitat changes on elephant mortality associated with human-wildlife conflict: Identifying areas of concern for human-elephant cohabitation in the north central dry zone of Sri Lanka (2021)

Chase A. LaDue, Sarah M. Farinelli, Imira Eranda, Chandana Jayasinghe, and Rajnish P.G. Vandercone

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Permanent scars of human-elephant conflict: Patterns inferred from field observations of Asian elephants in Sri Lanka (2021)

Chase A. LaDue, Rajnish P.G. Vandercone, Wendy K. Kiso, and Elizabeth W. Freeman

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Mortality patterns of Asian elephants in a region of human-elephant conflict (2021)

Chase A. LaDue, Imira Eranda, Chandana Jayasinghe, and Rajnish P.G. Vandercone

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