Distribution of Elephants in Sri Lanka

In the past, Asian elephants showed an islandwide distribution. However as the forests in the wet zone were converted to plantations the elephants were viewed as pests and they were eliminated from the wet zone except for two small herds found around Sinharaja and Peak wilderness.

Today the elephants are confined to the dry zone and intermediate zone, even here they continue to lose most of their range due to the rapid development taking place post independence.