‘The Gathering of Elephants’: One of the best Wildlife Spectacles of the World

By Sanath Weerasuriya

‘The World Elephant Day’, which was commemorated on Monday, 12th August, is a significant to Sri Lanka especially on a tourism aspect. One of the biggest phenomenon in the world of wildlife, ‘Elephant Gathering’ in in Sri Lanka is now happening in Kaudulla and Minneriya after years.

Most commonly known as ‘the Gathering’ is a spectacular event of around numbering as many as 400 at its peak wild elephants of all ages congregating in search for food and mainly water to what Lonely Planet refers to as ‘One of the 10 Greatest Wildlife Wonders of the World’.

‘The gathering’ is a magnificent display of the grandeur of all things wild and is a ritualistic journey of elephants to mate, socialize and seek sustenance among the lush grasslands surrounding the reservoir. This event attracts tourists from across the world to witness these magnificent elephants at a close distance. 

Currently tourism industry is enjoying in the biggest tourist influx to the Cultural Triangle to witness ‘The Gathering Of Elephants’ tagged as ‘One of the ten Greatest Wildlife Wonders of the World’ Located in the South East edge of the Anuradhapura District, Habrana is the gateway and home for more adventurous and wildlife activities.

Habarana is a popular destination for wildlife safaris specially elephant expeditions. This major intersection has attracted adventure and safari lovers from around the world as it is the main base for safaris in the nearby Habarana jungle, Huruluwewa Park, famous Minneriya sanctuary, Kaudulla National Park and the newest Kalawewa National Reserve, which are heavily populated by elephants.

Nevertheless ‘World Elephant Day’ is not a major focus in Sri Lanka, apart from isolated commemorations from the private sector stakeholders. World Elephant Day was co-founded on August 12, 2012, by Canadian Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand, an initiative of HM Queen Sirikit of Thailand to bring attention to the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants.

On World Elephant Day, attention turns to the unique challenges faced by Sri Lanka. Tourism, overcrowded National Parks, livelihood of the stakeholders and the human-elephant conflict are some of the major issues that has to be address by the relevant authorities. 

However as a major step towards compromise, the Department of Wildlife Conservation has completed the countrywide census of wild elephants last week. The results are yet finalise.

About 3,130 survey centres have been established across the country to facilitate the census. Participants include staff from the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and other government agencies, members of the security forces, employees from various private sector institutions, students from higher education institutions, and voluntary participants.

In the last countrywide census of the elephant population in 2011, it was estimated that Sri Lanka had a minimum of 5,879 elephants. According to the 2011 data, 55.09% of the population were adult elephants, 25.03% were young elephants, 12.04% were calves, and 6.04% were infants.

The main objectives of the census are to establish new protected areas for elephants, improve existing protected areas, prepare and update strategic plans to mitigate the elephant-human conflict, and balance development activities with conservation needs.

The Sri Lankan elephant density in is approximately ten times that of any other Asian country. According to DWC statistics, 10% of the world’s Asian elephant population live in this small island, hence, Sri Lanka offers opportunities of observing Sri Lankan (Asian) elephants in the wild that are unparalleled elsewhere. This charismatic species is losing its ground due to habitat loss and human-elephant conflict. Male elephants with tusks are somewhat rare in Sri Lanka and less than 7% of the Island’s male elephants are tuskers.

The annual gathering, occurring from July to October, sees smaller elephant herds from surrounding habitats congregate at Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks. This congregation, fueled by the diminishing water and food resources in other areas, provides a spectacular sight as the elephants socialise, bathe, drink, feed and potentially find mates. Recognised as the sixth-largest animal gathering globally by Lonely Planet and acclaimed by BBC and CNN, this natural phenomenon offers visitors a unique and memorable experience.

Cinnamon joined the celebration on 9th and 10th August with a captivating, educative, a unique event aimed to transform the annual natural phenomenon of the world's largest gathering of Asian elephants – the 'Elephant Gathering' into a celebrated and educational safari experience for all.

The leading ‘Elephant Experts’ spoke at the ‘Gathering of Giants’ seminar included Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando - Chairman, Trustee and Scientist for the Center for Conservation and Research; Project Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya -Elephant Ethologist and Lead of the National Action Plan for Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation and Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, Sri Lankan biodiversity scientist and recent winner of the Linnean Medal. 

The Guest Speaker was Valmik Thapar from India, who has dedicated over 48 years to wildlife and tiger conservation, authoring 39 books and serving on multiple government committees, including the National Board of Wildlife and the Prime Minister's Tiger Task Force.

Nature Trails headed by Chithral Jayathileke, the excursions arm of Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts plays a dynamic role in sharing this delightful experience with their clients accommodated at Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, the chain’s premier resort nestled in Habarana a mere nine kilometers from the park. 

‘The Gathering of Giants is not just an event; it is a testament to the beauty of nature and the importance of preserving it. By aligning the Cinnamon Habarana Complex with this extraordinary phenomenon, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts continues to promote sustainable tourism and enhance the global recognition of Sri Lanka's unique wildlife heritage’ added Chitral Jayatilake - Vice President Cinnamon Nature Trails.

Pix by Shan Bandu Weerasinghe