The Gathering…

Asia‟s most unique elephant

phenomena

One of Sri Lanka‟s prime tourism

attractions

June to October each year

Source of income to people in the

area

Current situation….

Average of 400 persons per day visit park

Over 80 jeeps in operation

Average income to DWLC Rs:250,000-400,000

Average of jeeps per day 35

Average jeep hire per trip Rs: 3,000

0.0

20.0

40.0

60.0

80.0

100.0

120.0

Year 2007 Year 2008 Year 2009

Revenue earned by Wild Life Parks from

Tourism (In Rs. Million)

Year 2007 - 2009

Revenue (

In

Rs.M

illion)

Year

No of Visitors to Minneriya National Park 2009

No o

f Vis

itors

Revenue (

Rs.)

Revenue from Minneriya National Park 2009

The problem….

Elephants start moving out of the jungle in the late afternoon…

..but often get „hemmed in‟ by jeeps

..with nowhere to go

Leaving space for the elephants …

Allows them to access the water ….a daily ritual

Good sightings for all…

And also see return after satisfying bath…

The issues….

No proper road network

Insufficient trackers

Lack of awareness and training

No code of conduct

Jeep exhaust smoke

The solutions…

Set up working sub committee comprising both senior

Colombo leaders and hotel managers/ line staff at site

Create awareness among hoteliers

Create awareness among guests and Sri Lankans

Engage Park warden

Educate drivers

Educate trackers

Incentivize Drivers/trackers

Suspend drivers for bad behaviour

Bring pressure on drivers thru larger travel agents

Use jeep drivers for collecting data

Set up working sub committee

Minimum 3 leaders form Colombo

Further 7 handpicked Managers/line managers from individual hotels in the area who can genuinely contribute- by mid September

One meeting at site to plan out brainstorm-last week September

Prepare budget-

Roll out action plan -2nd /3rd /4th weeks of October

Work with DWLC

Ensure sufficient trackers

Augment with volunteers form local community

Demarcate parking areas within the open plains for viewing elephants

Ensure that all visitors go thru information center before entering park so that they would be sensitized to proper code of conduct

Good signage

Designated Parking Possible new entrance

Create awareness among hoteliers

Work with the Cultural Triangle hotels Association

Conduct awareness programme for Managers, naturalists, Front office staff of all hotels

Emphasize need to protect and guard this ‘gold mine’

Impress that it has indirect impact on their remuneration levels eventually

Train a few key people from each hotel to be the champions of the cause.

Create awareness among guests

Design and print simple generic leaflet

giving all details of ‘The Gathering’, and

the do’s and don'ts

Focus on Sri Lankans

Ensure that all hotels in the area have

sufficient quantities

All guests visiting the park to be given a

leaflet

Educate drivers and trackers

Conduct half day training and awareness programme in select hotel

Engage them in active dialog and listen to their views

Bring in Sinhalese cinema popular personality to talk to jeep drivers and trackers

Arrive at a consensus solution with assurance of self-policing

Decide on evaluation scheme with awards and recognition for best trackers/drivers

Ensure that Drivers record sightings of specific elephants to build data base

Haphazard fencing… the “cure for all ills”..causing more problems

Human-Elephant conflict