Slide background Elephants enjoying the lake in Uda Walawe Elephants enjoying the lake in Uda Walawe

Sri Lanka

Not only are Asian elephants a very different species to our African elephants, but Sri Lanka also has three different honeybee species living on the island which each have different behavioural properties compared to the African honey bee. Consequently, our research in Sri Lanka has had to start from scratch, firstly trying to understand if the elephants there have any knowledge or fear of the local honey bees.

We have started a fascinating study in Uda Walawe National Park in partnership with the Uda Walawe Elephant Research Project, Peradeniya University and endorsed by The Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Beehive Fence with SLWCS team
Building Beehive Fences with the SLWCS team

We are very grateful to The St Andrews Prize for the Environment, Elephant Action League and The Rufford Small Grants Foundation for funding this expansion of our research into Sri Lanka.