Browsing by Author "Isthikar, M.A.M."

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Causes and Directions of Elephant Migration, A Geographical Survey: Yala National Park
(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Isthikar, M.A.M.
Introduction: Sri Lankan elephants (elphahas maximus maximus) more necessity and unrestricted natural corridors to migrate to find its seasonal ecological niche as natural way of life as well as to avoid pressure in their home ranges. As Study Area, Yala National Park (YNP) is facilitating more than 400 elephants. The objective of this paper is to find the causes and directions of elephants migration from YNP. The fieldwork was conducted in occasional nodes around the park through observation and interviews with officers and local people in December 2014 and March 2015. During the dry season between March and September, 60 % of the total elephants migrate from YNP due to lack of carrying capacity, besides 03 % wander to find minerals and 5% wander to other areas due to attraction of fruits and vegetables around the park, in March and April at night around 7.00 pm to 1.00 am they spend outside the park. Due to the human interference in the park including setting fire, cutting trees, hunting, shooting at elephants, building fences and huts, visitors hooting motor vehicle hones, shouting, flashing their cameras and throwing stones direct 07% to wander outside the park. In addition 35% migrate as their annual routine from YNP. Elephants migrate from North Western Block of the Park to Maligawila and Moneragala jungles, from Western Block of the Park to Lunugamvehera, which acts as a national park as well as a corridor, from Yala East: Eastern Block of the Park to Poththuvil jungle and from Block I and II: of the Park to Bundala. This is very obvious during March to September but peak in May to July.
Causes for the Rude Behavior of Elephants in and around the Yala National Park: Block-1
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Isthikar, M.A.M.
Sri Lankan elephants (elphahasmaximusmaximus) need free natural habitats for their natural way of life. Innocent elephants have adopted rude behaviour as their self defence mechanism because of unethical human practices.The objective of this paper is to find the causes for the rude behavior of elephants in and around Yala National Park:Block-1 (YB-1).Datawere collected fromYB-1, office of the Park as well as from west and north western areas such as Kirinda, Situlpawwa, Galkaduwa, Palatupana, Mahesanpura and Weeravila through observation and interviews with officers and local people in July and December 2015. Yala National Park is facilitating more than 350 elephants including the block-1 which is open to visitors. However, the elephant population varies according to different seasons. In front of the elephants, more than 175 safari jeeps and private vehicles are permitted to make safari within the YB-1. As a result, the traffic congestion is noticeable in the block. Visitors are used to repeat their vehicle movements; as move, stop and restart them inside the park, and that makes the elephants nervous, and interrupts their free roaming and feeding. Visitors tend to shout, show objects such as bottles and sometimes throw those objects towards them, wave hands, hoot vehicle horns, flash their cameras towards elephants and some also try to feed unnecessarily. The villagers intrude upon the park for numerous purposes and hurt elephants in different ways. Due to above such human activities, lack of seasonal carrying capacity in the park, and with the attraction of tasty ready-made food around the park, elephants occupy, feed and trample outside the park during the drought which is prevalent from May to August. People light crackers, fires, shout, make noises with tins and coconut shells and use of lethal devices, and shoot elephants as well as chase them away. Some elephants remain with injuries. With such repeated incidents, some elephants become rude and try to attach humans.
Seasonal Feeding Ecology of the Elephants in the Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka: (A Geographical Survey)
(Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Isthikar, M.A.M.
Elephants (elphahas maximus maximus) play a vital role as the Flag ship Species in Sri Lanka. As the study area, Udawalawe National Park (UNP) is one of the ideal national parks for elephants in the country where they are considered to be a key stone species of the park. The entire area of the park within the declared boundary, together with the reservoir, is 32,315 ha. The major vegetation type of the park includes primary, secondary and degraded secondary forest, grass lands, shrubs and teak plantations. The aim of this study is to explore the feeding ecology of elephants in two different seasons at the UNP, Sri Lanka. Data for this research was obtained through primary and secondary data collection. Primary data was obtained from the east, west and south of the park in April and June through observation and discussions with park officers. Data analysis was carried out based on obtained both qualitative and quantitative data. According to the study, east and south areas of the UNP are drier than the west and north, and the vegetation is comprised of wet monsoon forest in the north, dry monsoon forest in the south. Chenna cultivation is very obvious in the adjoining areas of the park. There are more than 90 dominant plant species belonging to 38 families in the park. Particularly, secondary forest areas and grass lands provide food for around 325 elephants in the park throughout the year. Elephants spend more than 15 hours per day on feeding. During the day time they spend inside the park and at night around 7.00 pm to 1.00 am they spend outside the park especially in March and April. They consume around 140 kilograms of food and 80 - 160 litres of water per day, and they are getting water from Udawalawe reservoir for drinking and also for the purpose of lowering body temperature. Their diet includes different types of grasses, as well as juicy leaves which they are getting from the park and also in March and April they are feeds fruits and vegetable through croup riding outside the park. Beside this, elephants consume minerals from eating red soil which is available in the eastern part of the park, drink underground water for sodium and also eat barking teak trees in the southern part of the park to obtain the minerals from them.