Minneriya Elephant Mirigation

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Lake Minneriya 's Mammoth Gathering

In August and September each year in Sri Lanka , herds of wild elephants converge in 'The Gathering'. GEHAN DE SILVA describes about the grand seasonal phenomena and provides travel tips for wildlife enthusiasts.

Over the next few days in Sri Lanka , one of the most awesome wildlife spectacles in the world takes place. Over three hundred wild Asian Elephants converge for 'The Gathering'.

Sri Lankan wildlife defies conventional wisdom. Small islands are not supposed to have large animals. Someone forgot to tell this to the elephants, the largest terrestrial mammal. Not only is it found in Sri Lanka , the largest concentration of Asian Elephants, a seasonal gathering, takes place on this island.

Every year, 'The Gathering' takes place on the receding shores of the Minneriya Lake , in the north central province of Sri Lanka . As the dry season fastens its grip on the dry lowlands, leaves wither and fall in the dry deciduous forests, waterholes evaporate into cakes of cracked and parched mud. The elephants must move on in search of food and water.

The elephants, sometimes numbering over an awe inspiring three hundred, converge onto the receding shores of Minneriya Tank. Nowhere else in the world will one find such a high concentration of wild Asian Elephants concentrated into a few square kilometres. A fact confirmed by Jayantha Jayawardana, author of The Elephant in Sri Lanka and a member of the IUCN/Asian Elephant Specialist Group.

'The Gathering' at Minneriya is a wonderful opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts and casual travellers to observe the social dynamics of elephants. Matriarchs lead their clans to water, the whole group taking care to safeguard the baby elephants that are always flanked by adults. The basic unit of a family society is a mother and calf. Clans of related elephants will coalesce into herds when they converge onto Minneriya in search of a common quest for food, water, cover and mates.

The smaller herds group into even larger herds, sometimes numbering over a hundred elephants. Adult bulls mix freely, using their trunks to test the air for adult females who are receptive. When a bull elephant attains maturity, he is expelled from the herd and wanders as a bachelor. At the gathering, elephants that have not seen each other for a year, renew acquaintances. Bulls tussle for dominance and calves play with each other.

The Minneriya Tank or reservoir is an ancient man-made lake constructed by King Mahasen in the 3rd century AD. Many centuries ago, these lowlands were farmed for agriculture by an ancient civilisation whose mastery of hydraulics was remarkably sophisticated. Today, the ancient reservoir fills up during the North-east monsoon and gradually shrinks as the dry season fastens the lowlands in a torpid grip.

As the waters recede, lush grassland sprouts attracting elephants in search of food from as far away as the jungles of Wasgomuwa and Trincomalee. The lake always retains some water and is surrounded by scrub jungle, which provides shade during the heat of the day. The Asian Elephant is a shade-loving animal. It is not endowed with as good an air conditioning system as its African cousin who has large ears. As evening falls, the elephants emerge from the scrub, in small herds of tens, coalescing into larger herds, sometimes numbering over a hundred.

The 'Gathering' is one of the most unforgettable and fantastic events in the international wildlife calendar.

Key Facts

When should I visit?
The Gathering peaks during the months of August and September. The locals will know whether the herds are gathered at Minneriya National Park or whether the nearby audulla National Park offers better viewing at a particular time. Be guided by local advice and be flexible as to which of the parks you visit.

Why is it called 'The Gathering'?
Because that is what it is. It is a seasonal movement of elephants and not quite a migration in the sense of what biologists mean by a migration.

How should I visit?
Choose a reputable tour operator who can make your arrangements for accommodation, park entry fees, safari jeep hire, etc. Hotels in the neighborhood can also make arrangements for jeep safaris.

What else can I do?
Minneriya which is the focus of 'The Gathering' is at the center of one of the richest areas for culture and archaeology. The magnificent ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, the rock fortress palace of Kasyappa at Sigiriya, the Golden Rock Temple of Dambulla, are all within a half day's excursion. Wildlife enthusiasts may like to go further to Wilpattu National Park or go primate watching or birdwatching in the many forests patches in the area. Many of the country's finest hotels are also in the area.

Text - www.wildasia.com

The elephants have already come to Minneriya

By Srilal Miththapala
The Sunday Times

The famous ‘Elephant Gathering’ at Minneriya Park has become a regular phenomenon from June to about October each year, which coincides with the dry season in the North Central Province. The Minneriya tank fills up with the rains from the previous months, and as the drought settles in, the water level recedes, though the tank never really runs dry. Wild elephants from all the surrounding areas, from as far as Wasgamuwa, the Somawathi Sanctuary and Kantale thus congregate at the Minneriya Park due to the availability of water during the drought. The receding waters of the tank also leave behind rich, freshly sprouting grass, which is a favourite with the elephants.

http://sundaytimes.lk/090405/images/Minneriya.jpg

This picture taken at Minneriya Park on March 27, shows the Gathering in full swing

During the rainy season that begins around September/October each year, the reservoir fills up, and so do many other water holes and tanks in the area. Having adequate water and food in the surrounding areas, the elephants then begin to move away from Minneriya. Hence the ‘Gathering’ is seen as a seasonal phenomenon at the Minneriya Park.
This has been the case in the past years, where during the rainy season, one could see only about 10-20 elephants in the park, a far cry from the hundreds seen during the ‘Gathering’ in the dry season. However, like in many parts of Sri Lanka and the world, there has been considerable change in weather patterns over the past few years. This year in particular, the North Central Province seems to have received relatively less rain, although accurate figures are still unavailable from the Meteorology Department.
The available figures indicate that there was a drop of 62% and 64 % in the rainfall for the months of October and December 2008 respectively, compared to the corresponding months in 2007. Data for the month of September is not available, while November 08 shows a marginal increase over November 07. (See graph ).

http://sundaytimes.lk/090405/images/Monthly-Rainfall.jpg

Ref. Meteorology Department, Sri Lanka

Source: Hotel Sigiriya

Consequently, the Minneriya tank has not filled up as much as it normally does and according to records maintained by Hotel Sigiriya, elephants have been sighted in increasing numbers in the park, from as early as March this year.
Since alternate water holes and food sources have not re-generated due to the lack of rains, the elephants seem to have not moved too far from the Minneriya /Sigiriya area this year.
In addition, there seems to have been a larger number of Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) incidents reported this year. Already there have been three recorded deaths of humans due to altercations with wild elephants within the last three months in the Sigiriya/ Habarana area alone.
Elephants have been sighted often in the evenings and nights on most roads. Last week a mature male elephant was seen beside the main Dambulla – Polonnaruwa highway, nibbling at the foliage as early as 6 p.m. Recently the new Vil Uyana Boutique Hotel in Sigiriya was visited by wild elephants who had caused slight damage to the walkways.
Certainly more careful observations and studies will have to be done before any firm conclusions can be arrived at.
The Minneriya Gathering is probably the largest gathering of Asian Elephants in one and the same place. However, it is important that we guard against over-visitation of the Park.
As it is, unregulated movements of jeeps in the open plains, not only disrupt the movement of elephants from the surrounding jungles to the water, but also damage the young sprouting grass.
The Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) with the help of environmentalist and CEO of Jetwing Eco Holidays Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne has conducted a few awareness programmes for jeep drivers of the area. The public who visit this park, also need to understand the delicate balance of this whole event, and ensure some form of self discipline themselves.