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An international award winning program! *** This
conservation projects is based on the tropical island of Sir Lanka and is split
into two different research areas, the first of which involves the Sri
Lankan elephant and second of which involves the endemic
sub-species of leopard.
As a conservation volunteer you will assist
the staff and other volunteers in their efforts to conserve these beautiful creatures,
working alongside more experiensced conservationists and becoming actively involved
in some of the rehabilitation of the primates. You will also help to educate the
local communities on conservation and ethics issues. This project is incredibly
hands on and if you are looking for the hands on approach to animal research this
placement is a must.
MORE
INFORMATION ... Elephant Research The
globally significant biodiversity of Sri
Lanka is currently threatened due to extensive habitat loss and unsustainable
use of natural resources. The animal most affected by these activities is the
endangered Sri Lankan elephant. By integrating innovative concepts the Sri Lanka
Wildlife Conservation Society has pioneered several community-based human-elephant
conflict resolution projects in Sri Lanka and volunteer efforts through research
will see you helping and assisting the dedicated research team in their work,
to the impacts of the elephants in the local area.
During this programme
you will be out in the field with the researchers tracking and monitoring this
amazing species. The programme is offered for 4 weeks throughout the year.
The
main project objectives of the Elephant Research Project are:
Help
protect the Sri Lankan elephant by developing and providing management strategies
for its conservation.
Focus on the human aspects of human-elephant
conflict, and try to resolve them with the participation of the villagers who
are victims of elephant crop raiding. By helping the farmers to initially protect
their crops and property, the project will be building the credibility and integrity
of the conservation process in the communities whose support is essential and
crucial to the long-term conservation and management of the Sri Lankan elephant.
Develop processes to integrate community participation into human-elephant
conflict management.
Develop an integrated human-elephant conflict
management process which can be applied island-wide wherever there is conflict.
Develop village level community networks and provide facilities for
them to share and exchange ideas, information and experiences in regard to their
efforts to resolve HEC. Field visits between project villages will increase the
awareness of villagers and help build relationships and networks to support the
resolution of HEC island-wide.
Bring economic relief to the farmer
and help raise their standard of living by helping to stop crop depredation by
elephants. A farmer who can reap the benefit of his endeavours would be more tolerant
of the elephant, and more willing to help towards its’ long term conservation.
Increase public awareness as to the plight of the elephant and help
garner their support for its conservation.
Develop activities that
would help the farmers to benefit from the elephant. Introduce the concept of
ecotourism. Such activities will help to show the elephant as a resource rather
than a liability and a deadly adversary.
Develop the project as a
model for possible replication in other range countries of the Asian elephant.
Give the larger international non-scientific community a first hand
experience of what it means to live around such a large and potentially destructive
animal and still desire to conserve elephants for our future generations.
While
the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) is capable of protecting the elephant
and other wildlife within the protected areas, ensuring the long-term survival
of such a large and highly mobile animal as the elephant, especially outside the
network of protected areas though difficult is critical for the long-term conservation
of the Sri Lankan elephant. Thus there is a need to change to some innovative
approach to elephant conservation in Sri Lanka if elephants are to survive in
significant numbers outside the system of protected areas.
*
PLEASE NOTE: Walking in the jungle and forests to collect data could be dangerous
sue to the presence of wild elephants, sloth bears and other wild animals.
Leopard
Research Research on the endemic Sri Lankan sub-species of leopard (Panthera
pardus kotiya) has largely focused on populations of Yala National Park (Kittle
and Watson, in press) and Wilapattu National Park, representing dry climatic zones
of the southeast and northwest extents of the country. In contrast, the status
of the leopard in the central intermediate zone and the northeastern dry zone
is relatively unknown, although sightings are common among several non-contiguous
forest reserves and national parks in the region.
The project was recently
established to gather data on the density of leopards in the central and north
central provinces and also to understand the intensity of human-leopard conflict.
The leopard project provides the volunteers with an exciting diversion from only
doing elephant conservation and research work. When working for the leopard project
the volunteers also get to visit other areas in the Wasgamuwa region.
The
proposed plan to create a biological corridor ranging over the central, north
central and eastern provinces, encompassing a continuum from wet, intermediate
to dry climatic zones, volunteers are conducting a leopard survey by remote photography
to estimate leopard populations across both protected parcels and areas of human
habitation in this region.
This study will provide the first density
estimates for the Sri Lankan leopard by use of statistically rigorous mark-recapture
methodologies. To evaluate the field methods required for this regional study,
we are conducting a pilot project in the Himbiliyakade Forest Reserve, south of
Wasgamuwa National Park, Sri Lanka. The pilot project will consist of remote-photography
surveys and investigations. The first remote photography survey is being conducted
from March to May 2005. Future camera surveys will include Himbiliyakade Forest
Reserve, in addition to the Wasgamuwa National Park and the northern foothills
of the Knuckles Range (All three areas are subsequently referred to as the Wasgamuwa
region).
The
main project objectives of the Leopard Research Project are:
The
conservation and protection of the endemic Sri Lankan leopard and its habitat
in the Wasgamuwa region.
Mitigation of human-leopard conflict (HLC)
in the Wasgamuwa region through better understanding of leopard feeding ecology.
Creation of standardized protocols for monitoring leopard populations
and HLC to be applied to regional studies in the Intermediate and Northeastern
Dry Zones.
The volunteers will be split into smaller
teams and partnered with the Field Scouts to conduct research in the field. By
observing the Field Scouts and sharing the activities the team members will be
able to further master the techniques very quickly. Additionally working with
the Field Scouts will acclimate them to the local customs as well as provide them
with opportunities to develop an understanding of each other’s cultures.
The teams will be assigned tasks to accomplish everyday and these tasks demand
groups to work as teams. The evenings will be relatively quiet (for rest after
a tiring morning of field work in the hot environment) but there will be elephant
observations, tree hut monitoring and data entry tasks depending on the current
project needs and logistical considerations. All of these activities will help
to develop a strong team spirit among the volunteers and Field Scouts.
Programmes
start on the first and third Monday of each month. Volunteers must make their
own travel arrangements to Colombo airport in time for the pick up to be transferred
through to the project camp.
Location
The total research area lies within the confines of the Central and North Central
Province forests of Sri Lanka
and the base camp is situated in the Pussellayaya village on a scenic hill overlooking
a large tank (reservoir). The climate ranges from a low of 14oC in the wet zone
mountains to a high of 34oC in the dry zone jungles, where the average temperature
will be in the region of 25oC-32oC. Expect hot and dry weather for the expedition
with the occasional shower and humid day. Insects could be a problem in the night
when they are attracted to the camp lights. The monsoon season (Dec-Feb) will
be very wet with thundershowers throughout the day/night.
Volunteers
for the leopard project must be very physically fit to hike about 10+ km per day
in hot and humid conditions. They must also be willing to carry supplies and spend
time camping when needed to set up and monitor cameras. These hikes could be dangerous
due to wild elephants, sloth bears and other wild animals present in the jungle.
Accommodation
Please be prepared for basic living conditions. Wasgamuwa - the expedition base
is a research station that consists of a central house with a kitchen, a small
library, a dining area and a veranda. Team members will stay in rooms within the
central house and also in cabanas made from local material dotted around the central
house. Each cabana can accommodate two people comfortably and will share showers
and toilets. Participants will pair up to share rooms, although sometimes it may
be possible to cater for team members wishing to stay in single accommodation.
You will be at least 4 hours from the closest internet café and may have
irregular mobile phone coverage in parts of the core study area.
There
are some modern amenities such as showers, porcelain toilets and a finite amount
of solar-generated electricity. All meals will be prepared for the team and vegetarians
can be catered for. Clothes can be washed at base. Beds with mosquito netting
will be provided.
Time
Off Due to the nature and location of the research project time off is
minimal. It is possible for project participants to organise weekend and weekday
trips into neighbouring towns - these however are organised at the individual
volunteers discretion and this time may impact on the research project.
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