Elephant Transit Home

Backgroun d • National Park is a 30,821 hectare park located in the South Eastern region of . A major eco-tourism attraction, the park is particularly known for its Sri Lankan , a sub-species of the endangered Asian . Other wildlife that live in the park include Water Buffalo, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Sambar Deer, Striped-neck Mongoose, leopard and fishing cats. • Sri Lankan Elephants ( maximus maxiums) are listed by the IUCN Threatened Species Red List as endangered with between 3000 and 4000 remaining in the wild. Of these only half are found in protected areas. • In Sri Lanka alone roughly 150 elephants and 60 people die every year as a result of the ongoing human-elephant conflicts. • During the last decade, over 1300 wild elephants have been killed in Sri Lanka due to gunshot wounds, poisoning, electrocution, land mines and collisions with vehicles and trains. • Sections of the have been fenced in an Fast Facts attempt to reduce the problem of human-elephant conflict. However, Species: the park is not completely fenced or fully enclosed. These unfenced areas allow elephants to move into and out of the park into neighbouring sanctuaries through designated corridors. Status: Endangered • Elephants play an important economic role in Sri Lanka attracting tourists to national parks to see elephants in the . Eco tourism Threats: Forest clearing, activities including wildlife tours, safaris and accommodation for tourists increased human population also provide employment and opportunities for local people. This type of and human-elephant conflict model has been successful in wildlife reserves throughout Africa as it demonstrates to local people the importance of the local wildlife and the need for protecting and conserving it.

Key Threats • Forest Clearing : Increased agriculture and human settlement is causing loss and increased fragmentation of elephant habitat. • Increasing human population: Human-elephant conflict is increasingly common throughout Asia as humans and elephants battle for land, space and resources. Shrinking elephant habitats and expanding human populations mean people and elephants increasingly come into contact. Elephants can be dangerous to humans, and can devastate crops and buildings. The problem is compounded by the elephant’s attraction to crops such as sugar cane, bananas and other fruits grown by humans. Elephants are killed due to the conflicts and other threats include land mines and cross fire as a result of war and collisions with vehicles and trains.

Elephant Transit Home

Current Projects The Elephant Transit Home (ETH) was established in 1995 by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). It was created to provide care and rehabilitation to young elephant calves found abandoned or orphaned as a result of the ongoing Human-Elephant Conflict problem in the country

The objectives of the ETH revolve around the central aim of re-introducing fit and healthy young elephants back into the wild habitat of Udawalawe National Park.

These objectives include: • Rehabilitate orphaned elephant calves with minimum human intervention. • Condition calves for re-introduction to the wild. • Monitor the integration of released into wild elephant herds. • Study & improve the management, feeding and healthcare practices adopted for increased future success.

Since its creation in 1995 over 100 abandoned or orphaned elephant calves have arrived at the ETH. To date 56 of these have been rehabilitated and returned to their forest home.

Taronga’s Involvement At present there are more than 30 young elephants in the care of the Transit Home. Taronga sponsors two orphaned elephant calves and will continue to support their care up to and including when they are released into a national park in the future. Their names are Moreesha and Wakarei. Taronga’s support provides milk, medicine and supplies in their rehabilitation.

Moreesha was found abandoned on the in June 2009 by a local police officer in Morawewa, eastern Sri Lanka. She was reasonably healthy despite having numerous bruises and a deep wound with maggot infestation. Moreesha has now fully healed and is settling into the routine at the Transit Home. She is fed a milk supplement every three hours and has formed bonds with other orphaned calves.

Wakerei is a three year old male calf and was named after the village where he was found wandering lost and alone in the eastern Sri Lanka in 2010. The village has suffered badly due to the long lasting civil war in the region and Wakarei was recovered by local army personnel. After unsuccessful attempts to locate his family herd Wakarei was transported to the Elephant Transit Home where he is being cared until he is old enough to care for himself. Calves of this age are extremely vulnerable without the support and guidance of their mother and family herd. Once Wakerei has demonstrated to ETH staff that he has the necessary skills that he needs to feed on forest vegetation and has formed bonds with other age related orphans plans will be put in place for a small group release back into the wild of a National Park in Sri Lanka

Taronga’s vision is to ‘secure a shared future for wildlife and people.’ Taronga supports conservation projects for threatened wildlife in Australia and around the world.