How Many Sri Lankan Elephants are Left?

We’ve been seeing some worrying headlines breaking through news outlets recently. The BBC reports on a rise in Sri Lankan elephant deaths. The cause of death is rarely natural, and more often than not due to interactions with humans. 

While the slaying of an elephant is illegal in Sri Lanka, and punishable by death, elephants still find themselves victims of mankind. Often this isn’t due to poaching as is common in other nations with elephant populations, but instead due to communities and farmers viewing them as threats to their lands and lives.

With elephant deaths in Sri Lanka on the up, are these animals at risk? We look at how many elephants are left in Sri Lanka.

How Many Elephants Are There In Sri Lanka?

Estimates put the number of wild elephants in Sri Lanka up to 7500 as of 2020. This is a rise on previous estimates in 2011, when a census found 5879 wild elephants roaming the nation of Sri Lanka. The 2011 figure was itself an increase on previous estimates recorded in 2007, which suggest a population of around 3000. However, the numbers aren’t as high as in the 19th century, when counts began, with numbers recording around 14,000 animals. 

What Has Caused the Changes in Wild Sri Lankan Elephant Numbers?

Despite the higher numbers of deaths of Sri Lankan elephants by human hands, the subspecies of Asian elephant is actually seeing increases in population. Reports in 2011 pointed towards good health and protection of their habitats -- through the establishment of reserves -- as the reason behind rising figures. That, and the curbing of poaching, and the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka, which caused their previous decline to record low numbers. 

Now Sri Lankan elephants are protected by the government, and revered by many locals, they’ve been left to increase numbers in relative peace. In areas where there isn’t much human activity, on the northern and eastern edges of the country, their numbers continue to climb quite rapidly. 

This increased population has resulted in more interactions with humans, with elephants routinely entering villages and farmlands, wreaking havoc and even killing people. The response has been violent and ultimately lead to the sad loss of many elephants. 

In an attempt to solve this problem, Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation intends to recruit as many as 2500 civil-defence officers, whose main objective will be to reduce conflict between elephants and humans using non-violent means, primarily through the use of firearms to fire warning shots that scare off elephants approaching urban settings - it’s not a perfect solution, but it’s better than the current situation. 

Plans to protect elephant numbers, and the communities they are damaging, also include the development of fencing to separate man from beast. With new initiatives underway, hopes are that elephants on the island nation can continue to flourish without impacting the human communities that also call Sri Lanka home. 

Will the Sri Lankan Elephant Go Extinct? 

Even with the number of deaths increasing per year, the population is on the increase. With new measures being put in place, the future of the Sri Lankan elephant could be a bright one. But nothing is certain. If you’re eager to see elephants in Sri Lanka, now is a great time to visit the country and support their plight. The more external influence the country sees, and the more benefits their economy receives from playing host to these wonderful animals, the more likely they’ll be to obtain greater levels of protection and security.