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Sri Lanka completes first elephant census since 2011 amid uncertainty-by Malaka Rodrigo Source:News.mongabay Sri Lanka recently carried out a three-day elephant survey by counting the animals as they visited watering holes across the country. It’s the first such survey carried out since 2011, when Sri Lanka’s minimum elephant population was estimated at 5,879. In the intervening period, a total of 4,262 elephants have died, many of them in conflicts with humans, so it won’t be clear until the results are published in a month’s time whether the population trend is up or down. Despite potential inaccuracies in the total count, the survey is expected to provide essential insights, such as the male-to-female ratio and the number of calves, which are key indicators of the health of Sri Lanka’s Asian elephant population. COLOMBO — This past Aug. 17 would have been just another ordinary day for the elephants of Sri Lanka: ...