One of Sri Lanka’s key wildlife attraction, have been revered for centuries in Asia, playing an important role in the continent’s culture, religion and war. They are also play a critical role in maintaining the region’s forests. Asian elephants are the continent’s largest terrestrial mammals. They can reach 6.4m in length and 3m at the shoulder and weigh as much as 5 tones. There are three subspecies of Asian elephant – the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan. The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent. The Sri Lankan is physically the largest of the subspecies, and also the darkest in color.


The Sri Lankan elephant population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Elephants are present in Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Lunugamvehera National Park, Wilpattu National Park and Minneriya National Park but also live outside protected areas. It is estimated that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephants in Asia. Human-elephant conflict is increasing due to conversion of elephant habitat to settlements and permanent cultivation.