The Gathering

by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne

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 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 who are always flanked by adults.

The basic unit of 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 of 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 who 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 manmade lake, constructed by King Mahasen in the 3rd century, A.D. Many centuries ago these lowlands were farmed for agriculture by an ancient civilization whose mastery of hydraulics was remarkably sophisticated.

Today the ancient reservoir fills during the North-East monsoon and gradually, shrinks as the dry season fasten the lowlands in a torpid grip.

As the waters recede, lush grassland sprouts attract 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 airconditioning 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 truly one of the most unforgettable and fantastic events in the international wildlife calander.

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 nerby Kaudulla 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.

Choose a reputable tour operator who can make your arrangements for accommodation, park entry fees, safari jeep hire, etc. Hotels in the neighbourhood can also make arrangements for jeep safaris.

Minneriya which is the focus of 'The Gathering' is at the centre 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 forest patches in the area. Many of the country's finest hotels are also in the area.

Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne is an author and photographer who has published several books and articles to popularise wildlife in Sri Lanka. Books he has lead, authored or photographed include 'A Birdwatcher's Guide to Sri Lanka' 'A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka' and 'Magic of Sri Lanka'.

Elephant facts

Quick Physical Statistics

a. Elephants typically reach puberty at thirteen or fourteen years of age

b. They have offspring up until they are around fifty years old

c. They may live seventy years or possibly more

d. A cow produces a single calf and in very rare cases twins

e. The interval between births is between two and a half to four years

f. An elephant's trunk, a union of the nose and upper lip, is a highly sensitive organ with over 100,000 muscle units.

Interesting Facts

a. Elephant trunks can get very heavy. It is not uncommon to see elephants resting them over a tusk!

b. Elephants cry, play, have incredible memories, and laugh!

c. Elephants are sensitive fellow animals where if a baby complains, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.

d. Elephants have greeting ceremonies when a friend that has been away for some time returns to the group.

e. Elephants grieve at a loss of a stillborn baby, a family member, and in many cases other elephants.

f. Elephants don't drink with their trunks, but use them as "tools" to drink with. This is accomplished by filling the trunk with water and then using it as a hose to pour it into the elephant's mouth.

g. Interestingly, the Asian elephant is more closely related to the extinct mammoth than to the African elephant

Therefore understanding that rests in what it does not understand is the finest" Chuang Tzu translated by Burton Watson.

It seems inevitable that as long as we humans impose our own theories on how best to govern nature, there will be a difference of opinion of "animal" management. Over the course of evolution, the elephant as we know it today has evolved into a strong forced bulldozer that has the power to modify the landscape it resides in. For elephants their effect on the landscape is often considered destruction, but is it?

The answer to this question partially depends on your preconceived views of "nature". If you see nature as something static and in a particular way then any change no matter how minute will amount to destruction.

An interesting statistic found in the book African Elephants: A Celebration of Majesty about this issue; a general estimation shows that Man is clearing more forests in one day that all the elephants in Africa will 'destroy' within one year. Put in perspective, the effect that elephants have on their environment may not be as serious are we have been led to believe.

Unfortunately for some, our narrow opinion of seeing elephants as only living bulldozers of destruction is far from the case. As much as 80 percent of what elephants consume is returned to the soil as barely digested highly fertile manure.

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The Ecological Impact of the Elephant is Priceless!

a. Elephants provide a vital role in the ecosystem they inhabit.

b. They modify their habitat by converting savannah and woodlands to grasslands

c. Elephants can provide water for other species by digging water holes in dry riverbeds

d. The depressions created by their footprints and their bodies trap rainfall

e. Elephants act as seed dispersers by their faecal matter. It is often carried below ground by dung beetles and termites causing the soil to become more aerated and further distributing the nutrients

f. Their paths, act as firebreaks and rain water conduits

g. An Elephant's journey through the high grass provides food for birds by disturbing small reptiles, amphibians or insects.