Study finds Asian elephant groups splintering as food grows scarce in Sri Lankan park

Science reports that researchers followed female elephants in Sri Lanka’s Udawalawe National Park over a dozen years. By the study’s end, 69% of elephants present in 2007 had died or left. Researchers suggest competition for scarce food could help explain the shrinking social groups. Behavioral ecologist Lucy Bates warns that lost connections could hinder knowledge-sharing and calf care, although long-term consequences remain uncertain.