A narrow strip of forest connects two elephant populations but passes through villages. Researchers use GPS collars to map exact corridor use patterns, informing where conflict mitigation is needed.
The path of giants
In the dry zone of southeastern Sri Lanka, Yala National Park provides a sanctuary for a significant population of the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). The park itself is divided into five blocks; Block I is the most visited and ecologically rich section. However, elephants do not recognize park boundaries. Their survival depends on moving between protected areas to find food, water, and mates, a pattern dictated by the seasonal monsoons. This movement is facilitated by ancient pathways known as corridors. The Yala Block I Elephant Corridor is one such pathway, a link link for elephant populations that is increasingly squeezed by human settlements and agriculture.
This intersection of elephant needs and human activity creates a zone of intense Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). Annually, interactions result in the deaths of approximately 160 elephants and 50 humans in Sri Lanka. Elephants raid crops like sugarcane and rice, causing significant economic damage to local farmers who may retaliate with gunfire or homemade explosives hidden in food. Understanding the precise routes elephants take through these populated landscapes is an academic exercise and a critical step in de-escalating the conflict.
Data-driven conservation
To map these movements with high precision, organizations like the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR) fit select elephants with GPS satellite collars. These collars record the animal's exact location every four hours and transmit the data daily. This stream of information allows researchers to build detailed maps of the corridors, revealing which specific forest patches, roads, and village outskirts the elephants use. The data has shown that many Sri Lankan elephants have relatively small home ranges of 50 to 150 square kilometers and do not undertake the long-distance migrations seen elsewhere.
The GPS tracking reveals fine-scale behaviors. For instance, studies show that elephants, especially males, often move into human-dominated areas at night, with a peak of activity around dusk, to feed on crops before retreating to the safety of the park by dawn. This detailed spatio-temporal data helps. It allows conservationists to advise on the placement of community-managed electric fences around villages and paddy fields, rather than fencing the park's borders, which can trap elephants out of their home ranges. By pinpointing conflict hotspots, this GPS technology guides mitigation efforts, aiming to create a landscape where both humans and elephants can coexist.
💡Fun Facts
The Sri Lankan elephant is the largest and darkest of the three Asian elephant subspecies.
An adult elephant consumes up to 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of vegetation every single day.
Only about 7% of male Sri Lankan elephants have tusks.
In addition to elephants, Yala National Park has one of the highest densities of leopards in the world.
Yala National Park is typically open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
Admission
Park entry fees apply and are separate from the cost of a mandatory safari jeep rental. Expect to pay around LKR 7,000 per adult for the park permit in addition to the vehicle cost.
Accessibility
The park can only be explored via a safari jeep on designated tracks. The terrain is a mix of dirt roads and scrubland.