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Investigating the Relevance of 'Corridors' for Asian Elephant Conservation and Human Elephant Conflict Mitigation

par Anilkumar, Anjali
Promoteur Fernando, Prithiviraj
Co-Promoteur ROVERO, Francesco;Kodikara, Sunanda K.A.S.
Publication Non publié, 2024-08-28

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Résumé :

Elephant conservation in Sri Lanka faces significant challenges due to habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflicts (HEC). Identification of functional and structural corridors is important conservation action to connect elephant populations. This study evaluates how physical and functional corridor types identified through a literature survey align with elephant corridors in Sri Lanka and assesses the effectiveness of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) corridors and micro-corridors identified by Conservation Corridor Research (CCR). The study combines GIS analysis and questionnaire surveys administered to 130 residents from both corridors. A binomial Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was used to examine residents' willingness to relocate in relation to HEC severity and cultural ties. Results indicate that the landscape-scale DWC corridors, designed to connect protected areas (PAs) to mitigate HEC are largely ineffective due to developmental and social challenges, failing to restrict elephants to PA network. Conversely, CCR micro-corridors identified through telemetry and ground surveys, successfully facilitate elephant movement across linear infrastructure within their home ranges, ensuring access to critical resources and thereby mitigating HEC. The study further reveals that, despite socio-cultural ties, severe HEC is the primary factor influencing residents' relocation willingness. However, large-scale relocation is impractical due to the extensive elephant range and widespread HEC in the country. These findings suggest that enhancing micro-corridors seems to represent a more practical and impactful approach to elephant conservation and HEC management in Sri Lanka. This strategy would balance the ecological needs of elephants with the socio-economic realities of human populations, hence potentially contributing to sustainable coexistence.