The Gathering

Text and photographs by Chitral Jayatilake

Just over 65,000 square kilometres in extent, the island of Sri Lanka defies all logic in its abundance of bio-diversity. Home to 20 million human inhabitants, we somehow manage to have close to 3000 elephants in the island.

Elephants are known to migrate seasonally for better grazing grounds, but there is still debate here in Sri Lanka whether the movements we witness are migration or seasonal movements.

With the onset of the mid year drought, scattered herds from the Medirigiriya, Somawathiya, Katukeliyawa and Wasgomuwa forests start to congregate around the great Minneriya and Kaudulla tanks in search of water and grazing grounds.

A stunning scene in this entire spectacle is the number of baby elephants seen among these herds. The mischievous behaviour never fails to make a ceaseless impression on the thousands of visitors that flock to witness this annual occurrence.

With the north-east monsoon breaking by mid October, the Great Gathering breaks away with individual herds heading back to their preferred high grounds, bringing yet another awe-inspiring event in the wilderness calendar of Sri Lanka, to its finale.

With over 120 recorded elephant deaths in the island – these herds are under tremendous pressure for survival. Hopefully the next Great Gathering will still bring these herds back to Minneriya. Whatever the outcome of the struggle for conservation, wild elephant lovers still have an event to look for each year; it's the next Great Gathering. Spectacular events are not common, lets witness them while we can.