Abstract:
We studied garbage consumption by Asian elephants at the Uddakandara garbage dump in southern Sri Lanka. Garbage at the
dump was classified under six categories and quantified using a grid overlay. Elephants visiting the dump were individually
identified by morphological criteria and items and quantities consumed by them were determined by focal animal sampling.
Dung of elephants that did not consume garbage and those from the dump were compared quantitatively and dung constituents
assessed by washing through three layered sieves. A total of 17 individual elephants visited the garbage dump during
the study period, all of who were males. The observed sexual bias could be related to behavioural differences between the
sexes. Elephants mostly consumed ‘fruits and vegetables’ and ‘prepared food’, possibly due to their higher palatability and
nutritional value. Ingestion of polythene was incidental and associated with consuming prepared food. Proportions of the
six categories in elephant diet and garbage piles were significantly different, indicating that elephants were highly selective
when feeding. Elephant arrivals increased in response to unloading of garbage, suggesting attraction to fresh garbage. Dung
analysis found that garbage consumption did not change the quantity and constituents of dung, except for the presence of
anthropogenic items. As consumed anthropogenic items were regularly excreted, retention and obstruction of the alimentary
tract are unlikely in elephants. Elephants feeding on garbage had better body condition than non-garbage consuming
elephants, indicating that garbage provided better nutrition than natural food and was not detrimental to their health.
