Are Elephants Safe When Their Locations Become Well-Known?

A few years ago, tuskers were relatively safe because they roamed vast forest areas, and their locations were not widely known. However, today, with significant deforestation, elephants and humans live in much closer proximity, and human-elephant conflicts have only increased, not decreased. As a result, many elephants are now easily recognized, while only a few remain hidden deep in the forests.

Due to habitat loss, most elephants now wander close to human settlements, becoming accustomed to these areas. For example, the tusker Kavantissa was once rarely seen, but today he can be observed frequently. Elephants now travel through villages and roads in search of food, putting them at greater risk. A tragic example is Bhathiya, who was shot and killed after wandering into a dangerous area.

Therefore, when these valuable elephants roam in high-risk areas, it is crucial that everyone in those regions is aware of their presence. This awareness helps prevent harmful actions against them. Social media also plays a big role in educating people about the importance of these elephants as national treasures.

Is it possible that poachers will track these areas after they become known?

In reality, someone intending to kill an elephant doesn’t need social media. A determined person can spend months tracking a tusker. Also, knowing just the general area is not enough to hunt an elephant without precise knowledge of its movements. In recent times, elephant deaths have not been from poaching for tusks, but mostly from sudden violent encounters with armed individuals who shoot out of fear or self-defense. Many elephants have died, but their tusks have been found intact. This shows these killings were not for tusks but due to human-elephant conflict.

In Sri Lanka, the only true solution to these conflicts is coexistence—not reducing elephant or human populations. Creating awareness is key. The day when the whole country understands this is not far away.

So, making tusker locations known is not a threat to them. Conservation is awareness. Awareness is conservation.