Sri Lankan Elephant: A Celebration of Majesty by Vajira Wijegunawardane

The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) is the largest living land animal in Asia today. It is a distinct sub-species of the Asian elephant and is indigenous to Sri Lanka. What's more, Sri Lanka is considered the best place in Asia to observe these regal creatures in the wild.

With 200 photographs, this book portrays the many facets of elephant behavior from their near-human display of emotions to their instinctual animal responses. It includes moments captured in spectacular lighting, among other things, of elephants sparring and fighting for supremacy, calves just being calves and rare tuskers in all their grandeur, as never seen before. Included here are photographs taken in Sri Lanka in locations ranging from the wildest outreaches of the dry zone forests and national parks to the many irrigation-reservoir reserves spread throughout the country; and many places very few people have ever been to.

 Also included in this book is a selection of articles by renowned local and international experts on elephants. Through these commentaries by photographers, scientists and enthusiasts, and this collection of photographs, SRILANKAN ELEPHANT: A Celebration of Majesty strives to highlight the elephant's uniqueness and beauty in the wild and urges people to recognise the treasure we have in elephants instead of taking them for granted.

 Above all, this book emphasises the need to safeguard the elephant's future and ensure its conservation. The Sri Lankan elephant is listed as globally endangered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Sri Lanka will never be the same, ecologically, economically and culturally, without the elephant. This book is a celebration of the Sri Lankan elephant's majesty and an urgent call for its protection.