Summary

In Sri Lanka, the relationship between humans and elephants is defined by a paradox – Asian elephants are regarded both as an object of worship and as an enemy.

For thousands of years, across Asia, humans and elephants have lived side by side in a relatively peaceful coexistence. That relationship is now being threatened due to increasing human populations and loss of elephant habitats. Elephants and humans are being forced to compete for resources, a problem that has been defined as Human-Elephant-Conflict. This predicament poses a serious threat to the elephant's continued existence. While this is a widespread concern all across Asia and Africa, it is nowhere more apparent than in the small island of Sri Lanka.

What lies beneath the often-destructive consequences of human elephant conflict is a common story that both man and animal shares. That story is about family and survival…