Speaking of Science: Saving Elephants by Helping People w/ Ravi Corea

The Asian elephant is severely endangered; to conserve it in the wild is an enormous challenge. The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has been addressing this problem since its founding 21 years ago.

Over the last 50 years, the human-elephant conflict has developed into a huge environmental and socio-economic crisis. Loss of habitat and traditional ranging corridors has forced wild elephants to raid crops and homesteads. Annually about 80 rural people die of elephant attacks, and around 250 elephants die due to the actions of farmers protecting themselves and their crops from them. Elephants cause an estimated $10 million in agriculture losses annually — a substantial cost to bear for a population where nearly 70% of the people live in poverty.

Historically, the people of Sri Lanka had reverence for the elephant. The Society has pioneered various efforts to foster co-existence between nearly twenty million people and six thousand elephants. Its Saving Elephants by Helping People Project developed the innovative concept of fencing elephants out rather than fencing them in, one of the most successful efforts to resolve the problem.

Ravi Corea is Founder and President of The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society.

Refreshments will be served. Monthly, 4th Monday.

FREE for members. $5 for the public.