Improving land use practices to mitigate human-elephant conflict
Today the Asian elephant is not just a living symbol of the cultures of Asia but it is also very much ingrained in the socio-cultural values of the people in the west and northern hemisphere. Therefore the loss of the Asian elephant will not be just a huge loss for the people of Asia but to the entire world.
For conservation biologists these are challenging times—where we need to develop innovative strategies to balance the needs of people and their aspirations while at the same time attempting conserve one of the most endangered mega-herbivores of the world. Ravi Corea and his team work to develop innovative conservation projects on the ground to forge a future where elephants and people can coexist; solar powered electric fences, elephant alert systems, habitat enrichment programs, programs teaching habituated elephants how to paint, and even projects that are making novelty paper out of elephant dung.
In 2009, WFN was delighted to support the work of Ravi and his team through an Associate Award of £10,000 for one year of project funding.
Click here to learn more about Ravi Corea’s important elephant conflict work in Sri Lanka, and to watch a short film featuring Ravi.