A recent survey of Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population has revealed some welcome news concerning growth in numbers. Contrary to what many had expected, it is now thought that the numbers have grown to 5,879 in total. National Parks and known ‘Elephant Corridors’ were closed for three days in August whilst Wildlife Department officials conducted the first in-depth survey since the end of the island’s civil war in 2009. Many had feared that years of conflict (which brought about the closure of many National Parks) and general urbanisation and expansion of the civilian population would have lead to a decline in numbers. The survey also revealed that there are over 1,100 baby elephants. Over 1,500 locations were monitored for the survey, with over 3,000 people taking part in the gathering of information. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘NAtional PArks’
Sri Lankan Wild Elephant Population Larger Than Expected
5 September 2011 by Tom Armstrong
Wilpattu National Park to re-open this month
17 February 2010 by Tom Armstrong
Leopard in Wilapttu
Great news for wildlife enthusiasts and tourism in general was released today when the Sri Lankan government announced that the spectacular Wilpattu Nation Parkis due to re-open before at the end of February 2010.
The park had been closed for security reasons since 1988 although opened briefly during 2003 to give a fortunate few a glimpse of its natural treasures. With the end of the three decade civil war in Sri Lanka, the park has been cleared and deemed safe to re-open.
The largest of Sri Lanka’s many majestic parks, Willpattu is famous for its different varieties of forests as well its varied flora and fauna. The leopard is the jewel in the crown, and has been spotted regularly in the park. (more…)
