Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus)

The Sri Lankan elephant -Elephas maximus maximus is native to Sri Lanka and one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant. It is the type subspecies of the Asian elephant and was first described by Carl Linnaeus under the binomial Elephas maximus in 1758. The Sri Lankan elephant population is now largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Elephants are present in Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Lunugamvehera National Park, Wilpattu National Park, Minneriya National Park and Wasgamuwa National Park and also live outside protected areas. It is estimated that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephants in Asia. In recently human-elephant conflict is increasing, nevertheless it has remined an unresolved issue. Sri Lankan elephants are restricted mostly to the lowlands in the dry zone where they are still fairly widespread in north, south, east, north-western, north-central and south-eastern Sri Lanka.