Pioneering Conservation Efforts: UC San Diego Researcher Sheds Light on Wild Elephant Survival.

As the global community marks Earth Day 2025, Assistant Professor Shermin de Silva of UC San Diego is spotlighting the intricate challenges and remarkable resilience of wild elephant populations. With more than two decades of research experience, de Silva has emerged as a leading voice in elephant conservation, particularly for the endangered Asian elephant.

A faculty member in the Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, de Silva’s work focuses on the social structures, ecology, and communication strategies of elephants. Her latest publication, Elephants: Behavior and Conservation, compiles over 20 years of insights into both African and Asian elephant populations, offering a fresh lens on their survival amid mounting environmental challenges.

Originally from Sri Lanka, de Silva developed a deep-rooted connection with elephants early in life, though she admits that she initially took their presence for granted. Her scientific curiosity was sparked by the realization that, despite their cultural significance and visibility in captivity, Asian elephants remain poorly understood in the wild—and critically endangered.

In 2023, she led a comprehensive study revealing that Asian elephant habitats have declined by nearly two-thirds over the past three centuries. The alarming rate of habitat loss inspired de Silva to found Trunks & Leaves, a nonprofit organization committed to conserving elephants and their natural environments.

Her field research is centered in Udawalawe National Park in southern Sri Lanka, where she began observing a relatively shy elephant population. “Initially, I wasn’t sure how close we could get or what risks there might be,” she explains. “But soon, I was able to recognize individual elephants, and each day became a new chapter in their story.” From quiet moments with mother-calf groups to unexpected behavior, de Silva describes her work as both meditative and filled with awe.

The journey to publishing her book began as a collaboration with a fellow elephant researcher. When life circumstances prevented her colleague from continuing, de Silva decided to move forward solo, driven by a belief in the project’s value. The result is a comprehensive volume that uniquely centers on both elephant behavior and conservation efforts.

One of her goals with the book is to inspire new generations of researchers and conservationists. “There’s still so much to uncover,” she says. “Studying multiple populations can reveal key differences and adaptations that are essential to both conservation strategies and local communities.”

De Silva warns, however, that time is running out. Many elephant populations, particularly in Southeast Asia, face extinction threats due to shrinking habitats, human-wildlife conflict, and climate change. “These animals have existed longer than Homo sapiens,” she notes. “Their ecological, evolutionary, and cultural significance is immense.”

Despite their charisma, elephants are often misunderstood. “People tend to romanticize them without realizing how complex their survival needs are,” de Silva explains. Elephants require vast, connected landscapes to meet their nutritional and social needs. As development fragments their habitats, elephants increasingly come into conflict with human populations—especially when agricultural lands are involved.

While elephants are intelligent and adaptable, those very traits can lead them into human-dominated areas, creating friction. Climate change compounds these problems, as shifting weather patterns may force elephants to migrate across political borders, posing new conservation challenges.

De Silva urges a shift in how we approach conservation. “We can’t treat wildlife reserves as static museums,” she says. “Nature is dynamic, and our strategies must be flexible enough to accommodate wildlife in urban, rural, and agricultural settings.”

She also emphasizes the role humans play in shaping ecosystems. “We are not separate from nature,” she says. “We must act as responsible stewards if we want future generations to benefit from the planet’s biodiversity.”

Looking ahead, de Silva sees numerous scientific puzzles still to solve. For instance, elephant communication—especially vocal imitation—remains largely unexplored. Do different elephant groups have unique dialects, similar to some bird and whale species? Could artificial intelligence and machine learning eventually decode these patterns?

Another area of interest is the social transmission of behaviors. Do calves learn dietary preferences and foraging strategies from older elephants? Understanding such dynamics could inform rewilding efforts and habitat planning.

As Earth Day serves as a global reminder of the planet’s fragility, Dr. Shermin de Silva’s work stands as a testament to the importance of science, compassion, and a long-term vision in preserving one of the world’s most iconic species.

Source:https://phys.org/news/2025-04-qa-paving-path-wild-elephant.html#google_vignette

This is non-financial/medical advice and made using AI so could be wrong.