Masters at adaptation

The street- smart bull elephants of Uda Walawe simply adapted when a novel idea was implemented to draw the top wire of the electric fence forward from the post to prevent them from reaching the post, with the middle wire being neutral and the bottom wire in its usual place.

Soon after implementation, huge sighs of relief had followed, after the thrill of observation that the breaching-problem had finally got a permanent solution.

Humans, however, had not contended with behavioural changes in the elephants to meet this contingency. “This was a measure to prevent the elephants from getting access to the post,” says Ashoka, smilingly describing how they simply ‘adapted’ to the challenge. The elephants resorted to a new trend, for they were found in the village during the night and for Ashoka it is still a mystery how they got there.

While Ashoka had been trying to unravel this mystery, suddenly the elephants once again adapted their behaviour – reaction following action. They would amble up to the fence and as if they had taken a distance-measurement, kick a small tree well within reach of the fence, to fall onto the fence and fell it.

“Elephants have been known to use tree branches as fly- swatters but this was unique behaviour for them, the use of tools,” says Ashoka. Here the elephants had realized that if they topple trees onto the fence, the wires would come down. They had estimated the distance of the trees from the fence and whether they would fall on the fence, for there had been no record of trees being brought from far away.

“Yes,” he smiles, when asked whether he knows the elephants individually. He is able to identify at least 700 in the NP with ease, having looked at their body- shape, ears and tails, photographed them and fused them into a catalogue.

Ashoka has two favourites among the 35 who walk around Pokunutenne like the masters of all they survey. They are No. 155 and No. 186, he says, adding that 155 has a devil-may- care attitude, loitering in the village for about 12 hours and ready to take risks.