In terms of animals, it’s not just elephants – although they are awe-
some; Sri Lanka has a huge range of animals for such a small island. And
where Africa has its famous ‘Big Five’ (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and
Cape buffalo), Sri Lanka has a ‘Big Four’ plus one (leopard, elephant,
sloth bear and wild Asiatic water buffalo, plus the ginormous blue whale
found offshore).
Plants
The southwestern wet zone is home to the country’s surviving trop-
ical rainforest, characterised by dense undergrowth and a tall canopy
of hardwood trees, including ebony, teak and silkwood. The central hill
zone has cloud forests and some rare highland areas populated by hardy
grasslands and elfin (stunted) forests.
Other common trees are the banyan, bodhi (also known as bo or
peepu), flame, rain, Ceylon ironwood and neem, an assortment of names
as colourful as their barks, leaves and especially flowers. There are tradi-
tional medicinal uses for almost all of them. In the Hill Country don’t be
surprised by the eucalypts planted to provide shade at tea estates.
Native fruit trees such as mangoes, tamarinds, wood apples and
bananas grow in many private gardens, supplemented by introduced
species like papayas and guavas. The jackfruit and its smaller relative,
the del (breadfruit), will certainly catch your eye. The jackfruit tree pro-
duces the world’s largest fruit; green and knobbly skinned, it weighs up
to 30kg and hangs close to the trunk.
Sri Lanka’s Elephants
Elephants occupy a special place in Sri Lankan culture. In ancient times
they were Crown property and killing one was a terrible offence. Leg-
end has it that elephants stamped down the foundations of the dagobas
(stupas) at Anuradhapura, and elephant iconography is common in Sri
Lankan art. Even today elephants are held in great affection. Of those in
captivity, the Maligawa tusker, who carries the sacred tooth relic for the
Kandy Esala Perahera, is perhaps the most venerated of all. In the wild,
one of Sri Lanka’s most incredible wildlife events is ‘the Gathering’ in
Minneriya National Park.
Despite being held in high regard, Sri Lanka’s elephant population has
declined significantly. Their plight has become a powerful flashpoint in
the ongoing debate about human–animal conflict.
Dwindling Numbers
At the end of the 18th century an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 elephants
lived unfettered across Sri Lanka. By the mid-20th century small herds
of the decimated population (perhaps as few as 1000) were clustered in
the low-country dry zone. Natural selection had little to do with that cull:
under the British, big-game hunting delivered a mighty blow to elephant
life expectancy. Today experts disagree about whether numbers are in-
creasing or diminishing, but the population is believed to be between
3000 and 4000 in the wild, half of which live on protected land, plus
about 300 domesticated animals.
Human–Elephant Conf lict
Farmers in elephant country face an ever-present threat from animals
that may eat or trample their crops, destroy their buildings and even
take their lives. During the cultivation season, farmers maintain round-
the-clock vigils for up to three months to scare off unwelcome raiders.
For farmers on the breadline, close encounters with wild elephants are a
luxury they can’t afford.
What Tree Is
That?, by Sriyanie
Miththapala and
PA Miththapala,
contains handy
sketches of
common trees
and shrubs in
Sri Lanka, and
includes English,
Sinhala and
botanical names.Save the
Elephants
Don’t feed them in
the wild.
Don’t patronise
places where
they’re in chains.
Do visit them in
national parks
to support
conservation.EnvironmEn
talissu
E
s(^) Sri L
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nk
A
’S
E
LEPh
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