Sri Lanka to launch elephant census despite protests

Sri Lanka will begin its first census of wild elephants, despite protests from conservationists that the operation is aimed predominantly at finding the healthiest beasts to use in temples for tourism and for industrial labour.

Conservation groups initially planned to deploy off-road vehicles and provide about 200 volunteers to help with the count, but have now pulled out after local media quoted Wildlife Minister S. M. Chandrasena saying the strongest young elephants would be given to temples.

Sri Lanka traditionally uses tamed elephants for cultural pageants at Buddhist and Hindu temples, domestic transportation, heavy work and within the tourism industry, which is booming in the country after the end of a 30-year civil war in 2009