Crop damage by Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Ekgaloya and Dewalahinda areas in Ampara District, Eastern province, Sri Lanka

Article Details: Received: 2020-04-21 | Accepted: 2020-09-04 | Available online: 2021-03-31https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.01.47-54Sri Lanka is one of the Asian countries to support a considerable number of wild elephants mainly in the dry zone of the country. But today elephants have become one of the most seriously endangered large mammals in Sri Lanka and the world as well. Agricultural crop damage by elephants has become a most common and serious problem across the elephant range in Sri Lanka due to negative interaction of people and the elephants. Eastern province is one of such areas where severe crop damage by wild elephants could be observed. In these areas, most of the directly affected families are having low income level. For this common problem, still there is no proper mitigation plans to lower the impacts. Therefore, this study focused on the analysis of economic losses to cultivated crops, identify the most vulnerable crop species and suggest viable control measures to minimize this problem to a certain extent in the area. This study was carried out in two villages within one cropping season under two stages. Household survey including randomly selected 50 villagers from each village was conducted. Highest crop damage incidents were recorded in Dewalahinda area. Of the widely grown crop varieties, maize (Zea mays) and paddy (Oryza sativa) are subjected to heavy damage in both villages. Paddy and maize were reported as damage crop species by wild elephants in Ekgaloya and 19 households (out of 33) suffered due to that crop raiding incident. Out of 38 crop damage incidents in Dewalahinda, 28 households reported damages in maize and 26 household reported damages in paddy. Wild elephants have shown a least interest on some crop varieties such as chilli (Capsicum annum), ladies’ finger (Hibiscus esculentus) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea).  But these crop fields were heavily damaged by elephants as they walk across these fields. In both villages, the harvesting period seemed to be affected more by crop damages than other times. However, the post harvesting period was also affected occasionally especially in stored paddy.Keywords: endangered, socio-economic, cropping season, vulnerable crop species, Macroscopic analysisReferencesBandara, R. (2010). Willingness to pay for conservation of Asian Elephants in Sri Lanka. The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity, 1–6. http://www.teebweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Human-elephant-conflict-mitigationthrough-insurance-scheme-Sri-Lanka.pdfBandara, R. and Tisdell, C. (2003). Comparison of rural and urban attitudes to the conservation of Asian elephants in Sri Lanka: Empirical evidence. 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Мониторинг воспроизводства и влияния фекального прогестерона на репродуктивную цикличность циклов самбарского оленя Шри-Ланки (Rusa unicolor unicolor)

Sambar deer hinds, estrus, progesterone, estrous cycle, Sri LankaThis study examines the length of the estrous cycle in 16 Sambar deer hinds in National zoological gardens in Dehiwala and Kegalle, Sri Lanka (NZGDK) assessed with the use of changes in progesterone concentrations, along with the changes in the profile of this hormone and by the visual estrus manifestations. The objectives of the present study were to characterize ovarian activity throughout the estrous cycle and the non-pregnant luteal phase of captive sambar deer in Sri Lanka. These objectives were achieved with the use of radioimmunoassay (RIA) to measure fecal concentrations of progesterone and visual estrus manifestation. Fecal samples were collected from non-pregnant sambar deer hinds (aged 2–4 years)over the period of six months on daily basis, both during breeding and non-breeding seasons. Estrous cycles were recorded in non-pregnant females, based on fecal progesterone concentrations. The average estrous cycle length was 26.1±2.08 days (mean ± SEM) and 2.10 ± 0.51 days in the inter-luteal phase.The average fecal progesterone concentrations attained the peak mid-luteal values of 2.74 ng mL–1. There appeared to be variation in fecal progesterone amplitude between animals and between dates, but the low frequency of sampling prohibited confirmation of trends. Behavioral estrus was detected only when the average progesterone concentrations were less than 0.07 ng mL–1. However, not all periods of depressed progesterone secretion were associated with the observed estrus. Behavioral estrus was detected in hinds when progesterone concentrations were less than 0.07 ng mL–1; a subsequent rise in progesterone indicated ovulation taking place at this time