SRI LANKA: EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITY
The postcards promise a paradise of lush jungles and gentle giants. The reality is far grimmer: hundreds of elephants shot, poisoned, or left to die as their habitats are bulldozed for tourism and urban sprawl.
Sri Lanka’s wild herds are under siege. Protect the Herd is fighting for the truth behind the tourism ads, demanding habitat preservation and the end of lethal conflict policies.
EXPECTATION: THE TOURIST EDEN
REALITY: A SYSTEMIC COVER-UP
The glossy postcard masks a state-sanctioned crime. Between missing firearm inventories and buried court reports, the government is hiding the true scale of the slaughter. Conflicting figures and systemic silence won't protect the killers forever.
THE CRISIS CYCLE
A schematic breakdown of the escalating conflict between human infrastructure and Sri Lanka’s wild elephant populations.
HABITAT LOSS
Deforestation and urban expansion fragment the elephants' natural corridors.
FRAGMENTATION
Isolated populations struggle to find food and water across shrinking zones.
CONFLICT
Elephants enter agricultural fields in search of food, leading to crop damage.
THIS ISN’T JUST A WILDLIFE STORY. IT’S A POLICY ISSUE.
Our campaign is particularly concerned about government responses to human–elephant conflict, including the use or distribution of firearms and other lethal approaches. We are calling for an evidence-based, non-lethal policy shift to protect Sri Lanka’s most iconic species.
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THE EVIDENCE
Read the documents, government statements, research and reporting behind the campaign.
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GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
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NEWS REPORTING
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OFFICIAL STATISTICS
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CONSERVATION SOURCES
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OFFICIAL STATEMENTS
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CAMPAIGN REACH
Documenting the global momentum and the collective impact of our investigative campaign.
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GLOBAL SOCIAL VIEWS
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PETITION SIGNATURES
CONTACTED OFFICIALS
EMBASSY ENGAGEMENTS