Asian Elephants
Sri Lankan Elephant
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Common Name: Sri Lankan elephant
Scientific Name: Elephas maximus maximus
Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Location: Southwestern Sri Lanka
Elephants hold aesthetic, cultural and economic importance in Sri Lanka. They are used for carrying timber and have a special significance and role in religious events. Many local and international tourists visit the county’s national parks to observe elephants in the wild, thus boosting Sri Lanka’s economy through tourism. Elephants can be observed in protected areas such as Yala, Wasgomuva, Udawalawe, Minneriva and Kaudulla.
However, the subspecies continues to be threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and the conflict between government troops and the Tamil Tigers in the northeastern region of the country.
More on the Ecology of the Sri Lankan Elephant
Physical Description
The Sri Lankan species is the largest of the Asian elephant genus, and has patches with no skin color on its ears, face, trunk and belly. This is the darkest of all Asian elephants.
