facebook

Be My Travel Muse

Solo Female Travel

The Amazing Wild Elephants of Sri Lanka

by 28 Comments

Call me crazy, but I really didn’t think of safaris when I thought of Sri Lanka.

Well, to be honest, I had no idea whatsoever to think of when I thought of Sri Lanka.  It was the layover on my trip back from the Maldives so I just stayed and checked it out for a while.

The end result was falling in love with an astoundingly gorgeous country with some of the more friendly people I’ve ever encountered.

One of the most amazing things about this place is the endless jungle.  It stretches for miles and miles in every which direction, as far as the eye can see.

Therein dwell all kinds of amazing creatures, the most exciting of which, for me, was the wild elephants.

sri lankan elephants
He’s running towards me. Yes it was mildly terrifying

Now I’ve seen my fair share of elephants in Southeast Asia, but they’re always domesticated, and honestly, I feel terribly bad for them.  But these elephants are truly wild, roaming between various wildlife sanctuaries, just as elephants should do.

Sri Lanka also boasts the largest density of elephants in Asia.  Despite this, they are still considered endangered as their population has been decreasing year after year due to a shrinking habitat.

sri lankan elephants
Elephants and rainbows, what more could you ask for?

At first I figured they must have been brought there by early settlers, but the locals insisted to me that they are native, and bones have been found dating back several hundreds of thousands of years.

The Sri Lankan elephant is one of three recognized subspecies of Asian elephants.  They happen to be the largest and the darkest of the Asian elephants, though still smaller than African elephants.  They reach a height of 8-10 feet at the shoulders and weigh up to 12 tons.

sri lankan elephants
Playing
sri lankan elephants
Drinking…
sri lankan elephants
“Umm, I’ve been sprayed in the face…”

Initially I thought that there must not be many males in the population, but later learned that only 7% of males actually grow tusks.  I wonder how mother nature chooses who the lucky ones are.

sri lankan elephants
Guy on the far left has tusks. He wins

The first time I saw the elephants was during a safari at Minneriya National Park near Dambulla in the cultural triangle.

I intentionally went in with low expectations, hoping to see perhaps an elephant or two.  What I ended up seeing was at least two hundred elephants eating, mating, playing in the water, and generally doing elephant-y things.

sri lankan elephants
So many elephants (and cows?) yay!
sri lankan elephants
Mating in the background there… how special

The second safari took place at Yala National park closer to the southern coastal stretch.  There were still tons of elephants but one thing that stood out was the variety of animals there, which seemed to be out in full force enjoying every moment of the day and every morsel of that beautiful beachside landscape.

sri lankan elephants
Elephants on the beach?! Cool!
sri lankan elephants
Mother and daughter
sri lankan elephants
Pictured again

What really struck me, and one thing I’m not so sure is a positive, was how close we got to them in our jeeps.  I was of the opinion that elephants can charge at any moment, and that’s not a receiving blow I want to be on the end of.

I can only guess that they’re so inundated with jeeps and people all the time, that though they may be wild, there’s an element of domestication there from the constant human proximity.  (That said, these were all shot with a telephoto lens. We were certainly not close enough to touch).

sri lankan elephants
The bumpy road
sri lankan elephants
A baby! Too cute

Do it yourself:

  • If in Dambulla, ask your guest house or hotel to organize transport for you to get to the area with jeeps (or they may be able to hire one for you) in order to visit Minneriya National Park
  • Total cost for a day’s driver was $50 and park entrance was $20 per person
  • If visiting Yala National Park, choose either a half or full day safari, again organized through your guest house
  • Total cost for a half day safari was $50 including Yala National Park entrance fee
  • In both parks, a Jeep is highly necessary. The roads are bad and I did not see any other type of car attempting the terrain

All said and done, I was so happy to finally see wild elephants after mainly only seeing captive elephants in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. Those that are used for the amusement of tourists to ride on lead truly sad lives.

Please, please don’t ever ride on elephants!

 

Do you love elephants? Have you seen them in the wild?

There are several wild elephant nature preserves scattered throughout Sri Lanka. Here is a review of a safari at two of them: Yala and Minneriya.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  1. sri lankan peacockThe Silly, Silly Animals of Sri Lanka
  2. elephant nature parkThe Best Way to Play With Elephants in Thailand
  3. elephant sands botswanaHow to Get Wildlife Photos Your Friends Will Love – Go to Botswana

Comments

  1. Kristin these photos are incredible! I have a special place in my heart for Elephants, I am trying to make time to go to the Elephant Nature Park and from what I hear they are a responsible organization, glad to see that you agree. I’ll have to give a look into contributing. Cheers!

    Reply

    • Thank you Kylie 🙂
      Lots of my friends have reported a really great experience volunteering there.

      Reply

  3. I’m so jealous right now! I have seen elephants in Asia, mainly in Thailand but as you said they were not wild and even if they live in parks where people don’t ride them and do other things to them, they are still not free as they would be in the wild. Thanks for sharing this amazing experience 🙂

    Reply

  4. I have no words for these photos. What a moment you must’ve had taking that photo of the big guy by the beach. The baby is too cute! I’ve never seen elephants anywhere other than a zoo but I do hope to participate in some sanctuary work (if I can find a humane one that does not involve riding one) when I go to Thailand in a few months. Gorgeous shots again!

    Reply

    • If you take look at the end of the post I like one to Save the Elephants in Thailand. That would be a great choice as they take volunteers almost daily!

      Reply

  7. Elephants certainly are majestic creatures. It’s lovely to see them in their natural habitat – society has taken away the magic of it with zoos, I think.

    I’ll definitely call into Sri Lanka in the future at some stage, I’ve got more destinations in mind than I know what to do with at the moment! You’ve really captured the essence of the place with your pictures, Kristin – especially the second one down, with the rainbow.

    Hats off to you, madame.

    – Dan

    Reply

  9. Hi, Kristin!! My parents have always told my sisters and me that life is going to school, college, then you start working and get a family, but I’ve never felt like this life was for me. I got my first taste of traveling in Argentina ( lived there alone for 5 months) and then in France ( 9 months) but what really made me like more was the mini backpacking I did in Brussels/Brugge and Amsteram ( 6 days only, but I was 17 – 18 now- and not a lot of money, so I think it’s already something). I really want to backpack around the world like you do and your blog just made me want it more and more! I hope you continue traveling and doing what you like and also that one day it will be my turn 🙂 Be safe!

    Reply

    • Thank you for the kind words Leo! I think it’s only natural for our parents to want us to have stable lives, and the idea of traveling long term can be scary for them. That said, if you love it then you have to do it. Best of luck to you!

      Reply

  11. Great photos, and a great cause. Was at an elephant park in South Africa once and was truly incredible, Sri Lanka looks great too!

    Reply

  12. I have also been on the half day safari at Minneriya National Park. Though it it wasn’t recent but in 2003 I can say that it all is one of my most unforgetable and exhilerating tours I have ever been on. You mentioned about the elephants being somewhat domesticated. I can assure you that in 2003 that one of the small herds we were able to observe was completely wild, remembering I was there in 2003. Our driver did everything he could to keep safe distance, but at one point a calf came out of the bush about 50 m behind our jeep, momma came out close behind. Seeing us so close she trumpeted turned and charged. Our driver was quick to get the jeep moving but when you are watching a mad momma elephant in full run comming toward you will wish you were in a faster vehicle. After about a half a minute of bravely fleeing for our lives with video camera running but catching very little because your just kinda pointing and not properly aiming. I can tell you that’s one female elephant that was wild. We had a wonderful time. Thank you for your article and bringing back special memories of an outstanding vacation in Sri Lanka

    Reply

    • Hi Keith, yes they are definitely wild, I just felt that maybe we got a bit too close and should have respected their space a bit more. Was a real highlight for me, too, and completely unexpected. Sri Lanka was a wonderful place and I hold special memories of it as well!

      Reply

  13. Hi. Kristin,

    I am a Sri Lankan lived most of my life away from the country. Coming back to Sri Lanka , I realize the enormous potential of Holiday travel industry and started inbound travel operation company. When I read through your blog, I am really proud and am happy to see your amazing photographs.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.