WNPS Monthly Lecture: Co-existing with wild elephants, a comparison between Botswana & Sri Lanka

Botswana has 130,000 elephants, and 2.7 Million people. Annually, about 350 – 400 elephants are killed, while the number of human casualties are, usually, in single figures.

Sri Lanka, as per an official census of 2011, had 5,879 elephants and, currently, approximately 22 Million people. In 2023, 476 elephants and 169 people lost their lives to human-elephant conflict.

For two Nations of contrastingly different size and population, elephants are a valuable economic, cultural and environmental asset. For their continued existence, and the benefits they give, humans must learn to live with them as neighbours.

Dr Tempe Adams is no stranger to Sri Lanka having already conducted two previous lectures for the WNPS, and is an adviser on its projects. With over a decade of research experience in the Chobe National Park, she also has a comprehensive understanding of the issues that beset elephant conservation in Sri Lanka. She is a Member of the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group.

Dr Sumith Pilapitya is a household name in wildlife conservation in Sri Lanka. A former Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, he has become a champion of elephant conservation in Sri Lanka. He, too, has been a regular presenter of the Lecture Series and advises the WNPS, particularly on matters related to Human-Elephant Conflict.