Sponsor An Asian Elephant
with the Sri Lanka Elephant Project

When you join the Elephant Guardian Circle (ECG) through the International Elephant Foundation, you can support the Sri Lanka Elephant Project (SLEP) by selecting one of the elephant groups below. SLEP is a long-term research and community program that works to understand elephants and help people and elephants live together more safely.

SLEP monitors wild elephants that move through landscapes shared with people. These elephants travel across farms, forests, and villages, and their lives are closely connected to the communities around them. As part of the Elephant Guardian Circle, you will learn about real wild elephants that our researchers encounter during fieldwork. Your support helps fund the research and community partnerships that help protect their future.

During fieldwork, SLEP researchers often see and identify individual elephants. These include mothers raising calves, young males exploring new areas, and older females leading their families through landscapes where people and elephants live side by side. Elephant Guardian Circle supporters will meet some of these elephants through photos, stories, and observations from the field when our team encounters them. These elephants are not owned or managed by SLEP: they are part of Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population. By supporting SLEP, you help us learn how elephants use shared landscapes and how people and elephants can coexist safely.

Your sponsorship supports long-term monitoring of wild elephants, research on elephant behavior and movement, community science programs with local farmers, and education programs for students who live alongside elephants.

Female Leader

The female leader is the usually the oldest and most experienced female in the herd, and she leads the group with memory and wisdom. She makes decisions for the herd to find food and water, helps keep everyone safe, and sets an example for younger elephants.

Mother & Calf

A mother elephant helps build the herd for the future. A mother is fiercely protective and nurturing, staying close to her calf and helping them learn how to navigate the world. The baby depends on her for safety, milk, and comfort, while also learning from the rest of the herd.

Tusker

A tusker is an adult male elephant, often called a bull, that has visible tusks.
Mature bulls usually live separately from family herds and may travel alone or with other bulls except when they are looking for receptive females.

Subadult Male

A subadult male is a young bull who has left his family herd and is navigating independence. During this transitional stage, he learns from older males, explores new areas, and begins developing the skills and social knowledge he will need as an adult bull

Juvenile

A juvenile is a young elephant (male or female) still learning from the herd. These energetic youngsters spend their days playing, practicing skills, and watching older elephants to learn how to find food, communicate, and navigate the complex world of elephant society.