ASSESSMENT OF WILD

ELEPHANT DISTRIBUTION,

RANGING PATTERN AND

MONITORING Project Proposal

DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

MINISTRY OF SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT AND WILDLIFE

Submitted to the ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT MINISTRY OF MAHAWELI DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

ESCAMP/DWC/RADIO COLLARS/2b -01

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PROJECT PROPOSAL COVER SHEET

Project Title:

Applicant

Name of the Primary Department/Organization : Department of Wildlife Conservation

Mailing Address : 811/A, Jayanthipura Road, Battaramulla

Physical Address : do

Telephone : +94112888585

Fax : +94112883355

Email : dg@dwc.lk

Principal Officer : Director General of Wildlife Conservation

+94112888585

Project Contact : Deputy Director (Elephant Conservation)

+94112888585

If the proposal contains field-based activities, contacts of the responsible staff in the field: NA

Name of the Secondary Department/Organization: NA

Contact Details: NA

Project Contact: NA

ESCAMP/DWC/RADIO COLLARS/2b -01

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II PROJECT DESCRIPTION

1. Project Background

Elephants in Sri Lanka hold a unique and very important position in the conservation of the species

and consists 10-20% of the Global Asian elephant population. Wild elephants are distributed in the

lowland dry zone forests including the Wildlife protected areas as well as in the forest reserves of

the Country. In the view of the availability of space with required habitat condition, considerable

population of Wild elephants mainly restrict to dry zone areas. As result of development activities,

the land area occupied by the wild elephants for long period is gradually reducing thus largely

affecting their movement patterns. There is a common perception that elephants are a migratory

species. Some studies on the ranging patterns of elephants in Sri Lanka have suggested that

elephant's migration is very limited, while showing high fidelity to defined home ranges. Within

which they may show seasonal movement in response to agricultural patterns, moving out of areas

when they are seasonally cultivated and moving back after harvest. The decline of the habitat in

the adjoining forest areas, within their home ranges, where elephants were found in large numbers

and the reduction of the area for their movement have resulted in human elephant conflict.

Elephant conservation and management has to be of an appropriate scale and requires a landscape

approach. Management of elephants has largely been shaped by the need to mitigate Human

Elephant Conflict (HEC). Major initiatives are undertaken to mitigate damage to crops and

properties by elephants and considerable funds are expended on electric fences and other elephant

barriers, other methods of crop protection, insurance and compensation. Due to poor visibility of

habitats, it is difficult to study elephants by direct observation. Therefore, GPS collars are an

invaluable tool to study elephant distribution and ranging pattern for various proposes within the

protected areas as well as outside the protected areas. Further, inadequate information on

spatiotemporal distribution of wild elephants and lack of information on movements of

translocated/managed elephants are also concerns at present for managing and conserving the

wild elephant at present.

2. Project Objectives and Results

Project Goal

Wild elephants are conserved in Sri Lanka and human elephant conflict is mitigated.

Objectives of the Project

1. To develop comprehensive data base and reports regularly on elephant distribution and

ranging pattern while establishing a system for continuous monitoring of wild elephant

distribution in Sri Lanka.

ESCAMP/DWC/RADIO COLLARS/2b -01

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2. To establish monitoring units at the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) head office

and WASL with required equipment and trained staff

3. To establish elephant health monitoring program at the regional level

The results of the project

Radio collars for 20 males and 20 herds of wild elephants are set and receiving data of elephant

movements and distribution regularly.

Monitoring setup is established within the DWC.

Annual reports are produced and used for HEC management, facilitation of the Government’s

development planning and conservation of elephants.

3. Description of Project Activities

Installing 40 GPS collars on free ranging elephants in the wild in order to obtain elephant

ranging patterns and distribution.

Building institutional capacity within the DWC for analyzing GPS collaring data by selecting

03 capable officers at the head office and WASL and provide training in downloading raw

data and analyzing the data to determine ranging patterns and distribution.

Training of 05 officers at each regional level on elephants’ health.

National training will be provided by the Center for Conservation Research (CCR) while

international training will be provided by a training institution such as the Smithsonian

Institution.

Purchase required GPS collars and other equipment and software

Establishing monitoring units at HO and WASL

Data collection and analysis

Develop reports for management of elephants inside and outside PAs

4. Partnerships

CCR is an institute which is being actively conducted research in this manner with the DWC. They

have experience on elephant collaring, data collection and analysis. The DWC will be working with

the CCR for national training the officers selected to the monitoring unit.

5. Sustainability of the Project

Information generated through this project will provide direction to setup strategies to control

human elephant conflict which is prevailing as a disaster in the areas where human settlements are

located adjoining to the forest areas and also to minimize further development activities in those

areas.

The unit will be strengthening as a wildlife monitoring unit under the Research Division of DWC.

Considering that HEC mitigation is a core activity of DWC and GPS collaring data is essential for

ESCAMP/DWC/RADIO COLLARS/2b -01

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determining ranging patterns and distribution, the DWC will support this program beyond ESCAMP

with funds from the Wildlife Preservation Fund.

6. Risks to Successful Implementation

Currently there is inadequate technical capacity to manage the data base including equipment at

the head office to develop maps based on the data received from collared elephants. So

deployment of staff for this proposed unit at the head office is very essential. Since this is highly

technical skill, DWC management should commit to limiting the transfer of trained staff engaged

in this unit. Considering that HEC mitigation is a core function of DWC and data from this unit is

essential in planning and management of elephants and HEC, the DWC management commits to

ensure the sustainability of this unit.

It has been observed that the GPS collars got fail time to time may be due to the harsh

environmental conditions. Also the data base management and System failure could occur.

Procuring the most reliable GPS collars and DWC staff with proper national and international

training to manage the data acquisition and management system will mitigate such risks.

ESCAMP/DWC/RADIO COLLARS/2b -01

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7. Implementation Plan and Timeframe

Major Activity Indicator 2017 2018 2019

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Select 03 capable officers at HA AND WASL and provide (national and international) training for them

6 officers selected Training provided

Select 05 capable officers at each region and provide national training for them

55 officers selected Training provided

Purchase required equipment and software

Equipment Software

Establishing units at HO and WASL

Collaring Animals

Data collection and analysis

Develop reports

ESCAMP/DWC/RADIO COLLARS/2b -01

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8. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

Progress monitoring will be done quarterly. Monitoring and evaluation committee will be

established with the participation of Additional secretary (Development - MOSD&W),

Director General, Director (Operations), Director (Health), Deputy Director (Elephant

Conservation), Deputy Director (Research and Training) of DWC, Representative from CCR,

Assistant Director (WASL). In addition to DWC use, the analyzed GPS data will be published

on the DWC website for use of researchers and the interested public.

III PROJECT BUDGET

1. Project Funding Summary (in Rupees million)

Funding Source Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Total

Amount requested from

ESCAMP

50 20 16 86

Department budget (in-

kind)

03 01 01 05

Total Cost 53 21 17 91

2. Project Expenditure (in Rupees million)

Expenditure Category Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 TOTAL

Goods 35 0.5 0.5 36

Consultancy services 02 02 02 06

Training 11 06 01 18

Operational Costs 05 12.5 13.5 31

TOTAL 53 21 17 91