The National Park

IN SRI LANKA, ELEPHANTS ARE BOTH FEARED FOR THE CROP

damage they can inflict, as well as revered. Their presence is felt everywhere, in sculptures in front of stupas, in frescoes and even on streets during traditional weddings. A huge elephant gateway at the Temple of the Tooth in the city of Kandy lets you take stock of their grandeur – physical and cultural – without even having seen one.

Today the focus is on protecting and rehabilitating the pachyderm population. Located near a reservoir on the border of the country’s wet and dry zones six hours south of Anuradhapura, Udawalawe National Park was established in 1972 and has become the best-known place in the world to observe Elephas maximus, the Asian elephant. In the Jeep, my eyes glued to binoculars, I’m on the lookout for one of the 500 elephant residents in this 30,000-hectare park. I soon spot several families, headed by imposing females; elephants are matriarchal. Their very nature makes them easy to spot: There’s nothing less hurried – or more adorable – than a young elephant taking a bath. A deft swimmer, this one disappears underwater using her trunk as a snorkel, emerging several metres away with a splash. She rinses and repeats.

When we head back, I’m tossed about as we cross the bumpy terrain until our seasoned driver hits the brakes at the sight of a branch moving up ahead. A few seconds later, two water buffalo emerge from the thicket and block the road, a reminder that no matter how many visitors come here, the animals still reign supreme.

LEFT A herd of elephants gathers in Kaudulla National Park. ABOVE, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Observers on the lookout for elephants in Udawalawe National Park; the skeleton in the room at the Elephant Transit Home, a centre for orphaned elephants just outside of Udawalawe.