While elephants may seem like gentle giants to many of us, the truth is they can be anything else when in the wrong situation. This is why we have the human-elephant conflict (HEC). Now, the reasons behind HEC are many and the solutions proposed to manage HEC are also many. There is no easy fix. We are dealing with living, breathing creatures on both sides of the equation who both have complex needs, and who both live within a larger, much more complex ecosystem within which we each play unique roles.
Recently, Rambo, the mature male elephant that has become an icon of the Udawalawe National Park, was captured from within the park and translocated to an elephant holding ground (EHG) in Horowpathana. Rambo’s relocation took place because he had begun to venture out of the park and into adjacent cultivations in search of food. Rambo’s situation is especially tragic because as an icon of Udawalawe and as a relatively friendly elephant, he had grown used to humans, and especially being fed by humans, and this, in turn, led to him foraging farther and farther from the park not just for natural food but for food from humans, which inevitably led to conflict.
Rambo’s relocation to the EHG in Horowpathana has caused some controversy among wildlife conservationists and enthusiasts. The EHG was developed as an experimental model to manage HEC, but conservationists have raised several concerns about the principle of EHGs, its applicability from a conservation context, its viability as an HEC management mechanism, and the treatment of the elephants themselves within the Horowpathana EHG.
Plans are also underway to build a second EHG at Lunugamwehera, which is being designed to be larger than the Horowpathana EHG in order to hold more elephants.
[caption id="attachment_134779" align="alignright" width="280"]
"In the case of human deaths, no assessment is done to understand why the elephant has killed the human...while there are times that innocent people may be killed by elephants, there are many instances where humans get killed due to their irresponsible behaviour" Former DWC Director General Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya[/caption]
So how do EHGs work?
An EHG is actually the first concept of its kind when it comes to managing HEC. Established in 2015, it comprises 930 ha (2,300 acres) of land within the national park with the capacity for 40 elephants.
Brunch reached out to former Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) Director General Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya for a little more background on how EHGs work. Dr. Pilapitiya explained that EHGs “are basically fortified areas where problem elephants are transported to and contained without the ability to go out of the EHG – if the fortification works effectively”, with problem elephants being tranquilised and captured by the DWC and transported by lorry or translocated and released into the confines of the EHG.
Dr. Pilapitiya went on to explain that while EHGs have been created to house “problem elephants”, there is no scientific or operational definition of a “problem elephant” in Sri Lanka, adding that the elephants defined as problem elephants are elephants that political authorities and the local community think is a problem because the elephant has killed humans or repeatedly damaged property. “Then pressure is put on the DWC to capture and translocate the elephant. In the case of human deaths, no assessment is done to understand why the elephant has killed the human,” Dr. Pilapitiya said, noting that “while there are times that innocent people may be killed by elephants, there are many instances where humans get killed due to their irresponsible behaviour”.
“For example, many male human beings that are killed by elephants have been drinking at night and walking around in areas inhabited by elephants and get killed. In instances such as this, if the death is due to human irresponsibility, should such an elephant be considered a problem elephant and imprisoned for life? Absolutely not!”
University of Jaffna Vavuniya Campus Department of Bio-Science Senior Lecturer Dr. S. Wijeyamohan also commented on the difficulty of identifying problem elephants, noting that much of the time, there are no experts on hand to accurately identify elephants, which has led to accusations that the wrong elephants have been captured and taken to the EHG. “The fact is that we don’t have any identification or drawing or notes to say that this is the animal that made the attack. It is possible that the DWC has captured the wrong elephant.”
Dr. Wijeyamohan explained that the first thing the DWC does when identifying problem elephants is to collar the suspected elephant to monitor them. However, this collar is only able to pinpoint the location of an elephant once every four hours, with their whereabouts in between these four-hour intervals unknown. “The frequency of monitoring needs to be increased, but as far as I know, no one has done it.” Dr. Wijeyamohan said, adding that there needs to be more enthusiasm and attention given to making sure that the right elephants are translocated to the EHG.
The pros and cons of the EHG concept
With issues abound in identifying problem elephants, a question that arises is just how much of a good thing are EHGs?
Dr. Wijeyamohan shared that the main idea of an EHG is to safeguard elephants and extend their lifetimes as opposed to them becoming victims of HEC. He did note, however, that from a biological and ecological standpoint, elephants in their EHGs are no longer contributing to the ecosystem because they are in a confined space and cannot reproduce or do any of the other ecological functions they would normally do outside the EHG. Dr. Wijeyamohan explained that the EHG is more of a humanitarian concept, adding that “sometimes conservation is done on humanitarian and emotional grounds as opposed to science coming first. It’s just to extend the life of the elephant. A semi-captive condition is how I see it”. Dr. Wijeyamohan added: “This way, the elephants are in an environment similar to their natural habitat where they can’t do any damage.”
Dr. Pilapityia argued that EHGs offer no real benefits, saying: “I personally do not see any positives of EHGs. However, the DWC is pressurised by politicians and communities to do something to problem elephants, so they feel that an EHG is needed. The biggest negative I see is that elephants are confined to an unnatural setting. I am not referring to the natural habitat but from an elephant social behaviour perspective, the EHG is an unnatural setting. Problem elephants are mainly males, so all the elephants within EHGs have been and will be males. There are no females within the EHG so they are in a socially unnatural setting. Reproduction is a major part of an animal’s life, but that opportunity is not available for an elephant within an EHG. So when I refer to it as an elephant prison, I am making that statement not only from the inability to range outside the confines of the EHG. They are being socially confined as well.”
Dr. Pilapitiya noted that the EHG, while being carved out of an existing natural environment out of the Horowpathana National Park, is still an unnatural, confined environment, and as such, requires active intervention from the DWC to ensure that the elephants have the food and water they need. “Their body condition should be continuously assessed so that necessary action can be taken to supply them with their needs,” Dr. Pilapitiya said, adding: “Either naturally by habitat management or externally by supplying food and water. This type of systematic analysis is yet to be seen.”
[caption id="attachment_134783" align="alignleft" width="276"]
"Sometimes conservation is done on humanitarian and emotional grounds as opposed to science coming first. It’s just to extend the life of the elephant. A semi-captive condition is how I see it...this way, the elephants are in an environment similar to their natural habitat where they can’t do any damage" University of Jaffna Vavuniya Campus Department of Bio-Science Senior Lecturer Dr. S. Wijeyamohan[/caption]
The DWC’s perspective
Brunch reached out to the DWC for their input on how they handle EHGs and how effective a tool they feel it is for managing problem elephants and HEC. A wildlife officer from the DWC shared that when capturing elephants, the DWC follows strict criteria, namely that the elephant in question should have been involved in at least three or four human deaths and significant property damage to be considered a problem elephant.
On whether EHGs are a lifelong home for problem elephants, the officer explained that with the elephants who will be homed at the Lunugamvehera EHG, the DWC plans to monitor each elephant continuously for signs of aggressive behaviour and after a set period of time (two or three years), the elephant will be released back into the wild provided it is no longer aggressive. The officer shared that the Horowpathana EHG has two wildlife officers dedicated to monitoring the elephants and acting when intervention is needed, providing food from outside when needed, and working closely with veterinary officers to ensure the elephants are in good health.
Responding to rumours of a large number of elephants having either escaped the Horowpathana EHG or having died within the EHG, the officer commented that this is the first time an EHG has been built anywhere in the world and that despite careful planning, there is room for some improvement, noting that while some elephants have reportedly escaped, most of the elephants translocated to the EHG have remained there in good health. The officer also noted that rumours of elephant-on-elephant conflict within the EHG are unfounded, noting that while they have recorded such conflict in the wild (male elephants are solitary creatures who can be very territorial, especially when looking to mate), there have been no such reports of such conflict taking place between elephants within the EHG.
Sharing his thoughts on if EHGs are an effective HEC management mechanism, the officer explained that elephants within the EHG are unable to go back to their old habitats and contribute to HEC, and that this does make it a valuable tool in managing HEC.
EHGs: A viable solution to HEC?
Dr. Wijeyamohan shared his view that as an HEC management mechanism, EHGs are a viable solution. However, he noted that it was not a permanent solution. “If it is a real rogue elephant, then yes, definitely it solves the conflict, but it is not a permanent solution. It is temporary, only because that niche can be occupied by another elephant,” he said, highlighting that, especially in areas heavily habituated by elephants, one elephant being removed only leaves room for another to take its place.
Dr. Pliapitiya maintained that EHGs are not a viable solution to HEC and serve no conservational purpose. “Since the Horowpathana EHG was constructed, the DWC has been translocating about 20 elephants per year to the EHG. Over the same period, there has been an average of about 280 elephants and around 80 humans killed each year as a result of the conflict. The data also show that the number of elephants and humans being killed has been increasing every year during this period. So how can we say that the EHG is a solution to HEC?”
Sharing his thoughts on effectively tackling HEC, Dr. Pilapitiya said: “To solve HEC, we need a paradigm shift in the way we approach the problem. Putting ‘plasters’ on old wounds like we have been doing for the last 70 years will not work. EHGs are trying to address a symptom of HEC but are not addressing the problem itself. For the last 70 years, we have been trying to solve HEC from a human-centric point of view. Elephants are stakeholders to the conflict, so their needs, behaviour, and ranging patterns must be considered and addressed if we are to solve HEC. Unless and until we do that, we will be talking about escalating HEC and there will be no reduction in the conflict. It is very unfortunate that we are trying the same tried, tested, and failed solution even today.”
PHOTOS Krishan Kariyawasam
"In the case of human deaths, no assessment is done to understand why the elephant has killed the human...while there are times that innocent people may be killed by elephants, there are many instances where humans get killed due to their irresponsible behaviour" Former DWC Director General Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya[/caption]
So how do EHGs work?
An EHG is actually the first concept of its kind when it comes to managing HEC. Established in 2015, it comprises 930 ha (2,300 acres) of land within the national park with the capacity for 40 elephants.
Brunch reached out to former Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) Director General Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya for a little more background on how EHGs work. Dr. Pilapitiya explained that EHGs “are basically fortified areas where problem elephants are transported to and contained without the ability to go out of the EHG – if the fortification works effectively”, with problem elephants being tranquilised and captured by the DWC and transported by lorry or translocated and released into the confines of the EHG.
Dr. Pilapitiya went on to explain that while EHGs have been created to house “problem elephants”, there is no scientific or operational definition of a “problem elephant” in Sri Lanka, adding that the elephants defined as problem elephants are elephants that political authorities and the local community think is a problem because the elephant has killed humans or repeatedly damaged property. “Then pressure is put on the DWC to capture and translocate the elephant. In the case of human deaths, no assessment is done to understand why the elephant has killed the human,” Dr. Pilapitiya said, noting that “while there are times that innocent people may be killed by elephants, there are many instances where humans get killed due to their irresponsible behaviour”.
“For example, many male human beings that are killed by elephants have been drinking at night and walking around in areas inhabited by elephants and get killed. In instances such as this, if the death is due to human irresponsibility, should such an elephant be considered a problem elephant and imprisoned for life? Absolutely not!”
University of Jaffna Vavuniya Campus Department of Bio-Science Senior Lecturer Dr. S. Wijeyamohan also commented on the difficulty of identifying problem elephants, noting that much of the time, there are no experts on hand to accurately identify elephants, which has led to accusations that the wrong elephants have been captured and taken to the EHG. “The fact is that we don’t have any identification or drawing or notes to say that this is the animal that made the attack. It is possible that the DWC has captured the wrong elephant.”
Dr. Wijeyamohan explained that the first thing the DWC does when identifying problem elephants is to collar the suspected elephant to monitor them. However, this collar is only able to pinpoint the location of an elephant once every four hours, with their whereabouts in between these four-hour intervals unknown. “The frequency of monitoring needs to be increased, but as far as I know, no one has done it.” Dr. Wijeyamohan said, adding that there needs to be more enthusiasm and attention given to making sure that the right elephants are translocated to the EHG.
The pros and cons of the EHG concept
With issues abound in identifying problem elephants, a question that arises is just how much of a good thing are EHGs?
Dr. Wijeyamohan shared that the main idea of an EHG is to safeguard elephants and extend their lifetimes as opposed to them becoming victims of HEC. He did note, however, that from a biological and ecological standpoint, elephants in their EHGs are no longer contributing to the ecosystem because they are in a confined space and cannot reproduce or do any of the other ecological functions they would normally do outside the EHG. Dr. Wijeyamohan explained that the EHG is more of a humanitarian concept, adding that “sometimes conservation is done on humanitarian and emotional grounds as opposed to science coming first. It’s just to extend the life of the elephant. A semi-captive condition is how I see it”. Dr. Wijeyamohan added: “This way, the elephants are in an environment similar to their natural habitat where they can’t do any damage.”
Dr. Pilapityia argued that EHGs offer no real benefits, saying: “I personally do not see any positives of EHGs. However, the DWC is pressurised by politicians and communities to do something to problem elephants, so they feel that an EHG is needed. The biggest negative I see is that elephants are confined to an unnatural setting. I am not referring to the natural habitat but from an elephant social behaviour perspective, the EHG is an unnatural setting. Problem elephants are mainly males, so all the elephants within EHGs have been and will be males. There are no females within the EHG so they are in a socially unnatural setting. Reproduction is a major part of an animal’s life, but that opportunity is not available for an elephant within an EHG. So when I refer to it as an elephant prison, I am making that statement not only from the inability to range outside the confines of the EHG. They are being socially confined as well.”
Dr. Pilapitiya noted that the EHG, while being carved out of an existing natural environment out of the Horowpathana National Park, is still an unnatural, confined environment, and as such, requires active intervention from the DWC to ensure that the elephants have the food and water they need. “Their body condition should be continuously assessed so that necessary action can be taken to supply them with their needs,” Dr. Pilapitiya said, adding: “Either naturally by habitat management or externally by supplying food and water. This type of systematic analysis is yet to be seen.”
[caption id="attachment_134783" align="alignleft" width="276"] "Sometimes conservation is done on humanitarian and emotional grounds as opposed to science coming first. It’s just to extend the life of the elephant. A semi-captive condition is how I see it...this way, the elephants are in an environment similar to their natural habitat where they can’t do any damage" University of Jaffna Vavuniya Campus Department of Bio-Science Senior Lecturer Dr. S. Wijeyamohan[/caption]
The DWC’s perspective
Brunch reached out to the DWC for their input on how they handle EHGs and how effective a tool they feel it is for managing problem elephants and HEC. A wildlife officer from the DWC shared that when capturing elephants, the DWC follows strict criteria, namely that the elephant in question should have been involved in at least three or four human deaths and significant property damage to be considered a problem elephant.
On whether EHGs are a lifelong home for problem elephants, the officer explained that with the elephants who will be homed at the Lunugamvehera EHG, the DWC plans to monitor each elephant continuously for signs of aggressive behaviour and after a set period of time (two or three years), the elephant will be released back into the wild provided it is no longer aggressive. The officer shared that the Horowpathana EHG has two wildlife officers dedicated to monitoring the elephants and acting when intervention is needed, providing food from outside when needed, and working closely with veterinary officers to ensure the elephants are in good health.
Responding to rumours of a large number of elephants having either escaped the Horowpathana EHG or having died within the EHG, the officer commented that this is the first time an EHG has been built anywhere in the world and that despite careful planning, there is room for some improvement, noting that while some elephants have reportedly escaped, most of the elephants translocated to the EHG have remained there in good health. The officer also noted that rumours of elephant-on-elephant conflict within the EHG are unfounded, noting that while they have recorded such conflict in the wild (male elephants are solitary creatures who can be very territorial, especially when looking to mate), there have been no such reports of such conflict taking place between elephants within the EHG.
Sharing his thoughts on if EHGs are an effective HEC management mechanism, the officer explained that elephants within the EHG are unable to go back to their old habitats and contribute to HEC, and that this does make it a valuable tool in managing HEC.
EHGs: A viable solution to HEC?
Dr. Wijeyamohan shared his view that as an HEC management mechanism, EHGs are a viable solution. However, he noted that it was not a permanent solution. “If it is a real rogue elephant, then yes, definitely it solves the conflict, but it is not a permanent solution. It is temporary, only because that niche can be occupied by another elephant,” he said, highlighting that, especially in areas heavily habituated by elephants, one elephant being removed only leaves room for another to take its place.
Dr. Pliapitiya maintained that EHGs are not a viable solution to HEC and serve no conservational purpose. “Since the Horowpathana EHG was constructed, the DWC has been translocating about 20 elephants per year to the EHG. Over the same period, there has been an average of about 280 elephants and around 80 humans killed each year as a result of the conflict. The data also show that the number of elephants and humans being killed has been increasing every year during this period. So how can we say that the EHG is a solution to HEC?”
Sharing his thoughts on effectively tackling HEC, Dr. Pilapitiya said: “To solve HEC, we need a paradigm shift in the way we approach the problem. Putting ‘plasters’ on old wounds like we have been doing for the last 70 years will not work. EHGs are trying to address a symptom of HEC but are not addressing the problem itself. For the last 70 years, we have been trying to solve HEC from a human-centric point of view. Elephants are stakeholders to the conflict, so their needs, behaviour, and ranging patterns must be considered and addressed if we are to solve HEC. Unless and until we do that, we will be talking about escalating HEC and there will be no reduction in the conflict. It is very unfortunate that we are trying the same tried, tested, and failed solution even today.”
PHOTOS Krishan Kariyawasam