Walking with elephants: research and resilience
Back in November 2023, I was organizing my research project around studying human–elephant conflict (HEC) and elephant behavior with African elephants in Kenya for my master’s thesis at Western Kentucky University. Due to unforeseen circumstances, this project was no longer viable, and my advisor and I had to pivot. My advisor, Dr. Bruce A. Schulte, reached out to Chase, a former master’s student of his, who kindly welcomed both Bruce and me to work alongside The Sri Lanka Elephant Project (SLEP). From that point on, I immersed myself in the scientific literature on all things pertaining to Asian elephants and HEC in Sri Lanka, while also getting to know the SLEP team. Both Chase and Rajnish from SLEP joined my thesis committee and helped develop my research methods as I prepared to fly to Sri Lanka in May 2025 to collect field data in Minneriya National Park for four months.
When I arrived in Sri Lanka on May 5, 2024, I was greeted with nothing but kindness and incredible hospitality. I stayed in Colombo for five days while applying for my residency visa. After that, I traveled to SLEP’s field house near Dambulla in the North Central Province, where I lived for four months conducting fieldwork. This is where I met SLEP’s research assistants: Darshika, Malsha, Praveena, and Chathura. Working and living alongside them while collecting data on the Asian elephants in Minneriya, I gained valuable knowledge about Sri Lanka’s biodiversity, the perspectives of locals affected by HEC, and how to live day-to-day life as a local.
Their brilliant expertise in wildlife—especially their knowledge of the specific elephants visiting the park—led to a successful field study filled with many laughs, especially when I’d look at them while in the field and ask, “Is that male number 4?” and they’d look back at me with a huge smile and giggle, knowing I was a good “tryer.” I will always look back on my time in Sri Lanka not only for the knowledge I gained as a growing field biologist but also for the values of hard work, resilience, and friendship that I witnessed every day. The conversations and laughs I had in the research vehicle with the SLEP assistants will stay with me forever.
One day that will always stand out to me was the first rainstorm I experienced in Minneriya. I was in Sri Lanka during the dry season, so there was very little rain over the four months I was there—it rained maybe three times total. One afternoon in early August, we were in the park collecting data on a large group of elephants when dark storm clouds began to roll in. The elephants sensed the storm and moved into the dense forest. Our vehicle was the only one left on the road, and we decided to head back to the entrance. The clouds looked like a mosaic of watercolors, and the sky lit up with low rumbling thunder and flashes of lightning. We all tried to capture the storm on video and even made a game of seeing who could film a lightning strike and celebrated each success.
We made it back to the entrance, reattached the roof to the research vehicle, and as we turned onto the main road to head back to the field house, the rain began to pour. It was the first heavy rain in three months. The image that lives rent-free in my head is of a large adult bull walking alongside the main road, about a kilometer from the park entrance. Its grey skin had turned dark from the rain, and the depigmentation on its face stood out vividly. He walked slowly, unbothered, through the downpour. It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, and to me, it represented the strength and resilience of these magnificent animals. That moment to me symbolized their ability to adapt and endure and reminded me of the importance of striving toward a better future—for both elephants and the local communities of Sri Lanka.
That large bull walking in the rain during the first storm of the season resonates deeply with me and the mission of SLEP. The Sri Lanka Elephant Project is not only working to protect elephants and promote coexistence with local communities affected by HEC, but also building the next generation of local Sri Lankan biologists. Empowering young local scientists with the tools and skills for data collection, analysis, and presentations, fosters sustainable conservation efforts and future collaborations. I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to be part of SLEP and help contribute to their mission through my master’s thesis. I look forward to future collaborations with the team as I continue studying HEC and elephant behavior during my PhD at North Carolina State University.
This blog post was written by Julia Brzezicki, visiting graduate student at SLEP.
