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Reducing Elephant Conflicts in Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) and Dale Leeds (Denver Zoo)

 

Asian elephants are classified as Endangered by The World Conservation Union (IUCN) due to habitat loss and conflict with humans, and there are only estimated to be less than 35,000 Asian elephants left in the wild. The conflict between humans arises from elephants raiding plantations for food, causing millions of dollars of damage annually. In order to save these elephants and the habitat they live in, the local people need help to live in harmony with the elephants. 

Denver Zoo is currently working on a project in Sri Lanka to help reduce conflict between humans and elephants by building fences to keep the elephants out of farm areas.  Denver Zoo contributes by providing funding and personnel to construct solar-powered elephant-resistant fences around villages, by training locals to maintain the fences and by working with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society

More fences still need to be built but so far the existing fences have dramatically reduced these deadly conflicts in the areas where they are located.