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We enjoy building community among our followers and sharing media related to our work. Follow us on Instagram @LankaElephants to catch up with us in the field.

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View fullsize Our team closely monitors elephant populations in Sri Lanka, ensuring that every observation contributes to a growing and dynamic body of knowledge. Each day, our field assistants work in pairs in the national parks, recording detailed observations,
View fullsize As female elephants have calves throughout their lives, their pelvis shape gradually changes to become more boxy. This skeletal adaptation occurs to accommodate carrying and delivering calves throughout decades of their lives. Pelvis shape can also b
View fullsize Through our community engagement surveys, we strive to understand people just as deeply as we understand elephants. Although 53% of farmers report knowing someone who has been killed by elephants, 71% still believe elephant populations should increas
View fullsize Meet Chathura! 🌟 Chathura has been a valued member of the SLEP field team for the past 1.5 years. He is especially motivated by the dynamic nature of his fieldwork where no two days are the same, and is focused on the long-term protection of wildli
View fullsize By collaborating with local wildlife veterinarians, we’ve learned that nearly two-thirds of elephant deaths are related to humans, in the region of Sri Lanka where we work. This stark reality underscores the scale and urgency of human-elephant
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View fullsize The SLEP field team regularly checks in with our community partners about elephant activity around their farmlands. During these visits, our team discusses what the farmers have found successful in deterring elephants, the extent of crop damage, and

Community-based conservation

Our work is inspired by the human communities that live alongside elephants and other wildlife in Sri Lanka. Take a look at a video produced by the SLEP team for schoolchildren. Video narration is in Sinhala.

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: The Podcast

Tune into the Wild Kingdom Podcast to listen to SLEP’s Executive Director, Dr. Chase LaDue, discuss his journey to working with elephants, the importance of zoos for wildlife conservation, and fostering coexistence between humans and elephants.

Available to stream on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.