Elephant research & conservation in Sri Lanka
| country: | Sri Lanka |
| departures: | 2008: 1 Dec |
| price: | From £735 (2 weeks) - £1975 (12 weeks) excluding flights. We can offer advice on flights from the UK |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This project based on the tropical island of Sri Lanka assists the work of the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society. The project offers volunteers the chance to be involved in hands on conservation work and experience life on this beautiful island. As a volunteer you will work alongside field scientists and conduct surveys of the endangered Sri Lankan elephants in the forests, grass plains and water holes and assist in human-elephant conflict resolution to develop sustainable conservation strategies to protect the elephants. You will receive comprehensive training in the skills necessary to conduct the field work. Activities include; elephant surveys on crop raiding behaviour, taking digital images, dung counts, species inventories and direct observation.
Highlights include: Explore the tropical island of Sri Lanka, receive training and get hands on experience of conservation strategies to help conserve the endangered Sri Lankan elephants.
Human-elephant Conflict Surveys: Together with a local Field Scout who has been trained to become a local conservationist and research assistant, you will cycle into the nearby villages nearby to find out whether there have been any recent incidents of elephants raiding. Generally you will obtain this information from a shop, temple or other community focal point. You will then cycle along to the raiding location and interview the owner to assess and record the damages caused to his crops or property.
Direct Elephant Observations and National Park Survey: Accompanied by a local scientist and a park guide, you will drive through the Minneriya National Park and other areas where elephants are found to record any elephants you come across. You will help to identify, photograph, cross-reference or add them to the database and record individual behavior and herd composition.
Tree Hut Observations: You will spend the night in a tree hut near a water hole in groups of 3-4, waiting for elephants to appear and, if they do, record individuals, behavior, herd composition, activity patterns, etc.
Other activities include: Line Transect survey, Dung Survey for Crop Content Analysis, and tank monitoring.
Highlights include: Explore the tropical island of Sri Lanka, receive training and get hands on experience of conservation strategies to help conserve the endangered Sri Lankan elephants.
a day in the life of a volunteer
Generally you will have an early start (breakfast at 07:00) whilst on other days you may be on a night shift in the tree hut. A cook will prepare meals at base camp where you will return to eat, rest and have a shower. Rest time is also built into the programme. Please note that all team members will be rotated through all activities, during a typical day the team will be divided into groups to carry out the following research activities: Human-elephant Conflict Surveys: Together with a local Field Scout who has been trained to become a local conservationist and research assistant, you will cycle into the nearby villages nearby to find out whether there have been any recent incidents of elephants raiding. Generally you will obtain this information from a shop, temple or other community focal point. You will then cycle along to the raiding location and interview the owner to assess and record the damages caused to his crops or property.
Direct Elephant Observations and National Park Survey: Accompanied by a local scientist and a park guide, you will drive through the Minneriya National Park and other areas where elephants are found to record any elephants you come across. You will help to identify, photograph, cross-reference or add them to the database and record individual behavior and herd composition.
Tree Hut Observations: You will spend the night in a tree hut near a water hole in groups of 3-4, waiting for elephants to appear and, if they do, record individuals, behavior, herd composition, activity patterns, etc.
Other activities include: Line Transect survey, Dung Survey for Crop Content Analysis, and tank monitoring.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus), which has shared a special cultural bond with the people of Sri Lanka for centuries, now faces an uncertain future. Reduced to fewer than 3,500 in the wild, the elephant has suffered from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation and poaching for ivory. Dedicated conservation efforts, backed by political will and commitment and adequate financial support, are needed to halt these threats and ensure the long-term conservation of the elephant. As well as assisting in the long term conservation of the Sri Lankan project, volunteer participation also benefits many other species of plants and animals that share the elephant's range and the human communities that have co-existed with the elephant for so long.
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