https://www.cladue.org/blog daily 0.75 2019-08-11 https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/8/12/an-untimely-update monthly 0.5 2019-08-12 https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/4/5/ek4qazeltgxzvjd1xdlu2i3tizgf3i monthly 0.5 2019-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1554442541570-SH3X724YZ2S4AMFA43ES/077a.JPG Blog - Looking back on my time in elephant land The most impressive of any tuskers that we’ve seen in Wasgamuwa, and he only has one tusk (his right tusk is missing). It’s not the best photo, but we never could get close enough for a good one. 26 March 2019, Wasgamuwa National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1554442798183-GOPW7YZX2AGPL7H4Y0B9/20190326.078.035.JPG Blog - Looking back on my time in elephant land The other tusker we saw that day. Much younger, but with impressive tusks still. 26 March 2019, Wasgamuwa National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1554442194118-BSO1CXZW6NG5TWC38V94/ele.tree.jpg Blog - Looking back on my time in elephant land Riding around in our vehicle often gives us the sense that the elephants are smaller than they actually are. This photo with Nimal holding up a stick shows just how tall they actually are (the end of the stick is marked with the red arrow). How do we know this? Many of the trees in Wasgamuwa are conspicuously marked with mud on one side; this is where an elephant has rubbed its muddy covering off on the tree. Nimal is showing where the mud on this tree reaches, meaning this is just a minimum height for this itchy elephant. It’s hard to tell, but it’s likely that this elephant would be tall enough for Nimal to walk underneath its chin, without Nimal having to crouch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1554448808444-QKGE9XTZBDO5WL179GZC/river.jpg Blog - Looking back on my time in elephant land Siblings Moksha and Nimesh by the river where we stayed in the Wasgamuwa bungalow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1554448984829-QQO5FQFNCXJWMX64611F/sunset.jpg Blog - Looking back on my time in elephant land The sunset driving out of Wasgamuwa on our last day of following elephants. 1 Apr 2019, Wasgamuwa National Park. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/3/18/the-scoop-on-poop monthly 0.5 2019-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1552962815648-R5Y3JZC806W2GFS9LUHN/20190312.012.016.JPG Blog - The scoop on (elephant) poop Encounters with elephants out in the open are increasingly rare with the high temperatures. Male 012, 12 March 2019, Wasgamuwa National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1552965758824-QI45V88ALNSJGDLHIRFB/DSC_0125.jpg Blog - The scoop on (elephant) poop I’m especially proud of this photo I got at a zoo a few months before I left for Sri Lanka. I’ve concealed the elephant’s identity for his own modesty. And yes, I got strange looks from the zoo visitors who were around me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1552968164694-E5UH1UG6M17W8RQDB2GQ/nimal.jpg Blog - The scoop on (elephant) poop Nimal and I after our trek through the elephant-print minefield. Not pictured: my butt covered in mud from my fall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1552968248346-W0YCSJK6N9F0VHFI6KOY/group.shot.jpg Blog - The scoop on (elephant) poop Look how happy our poop team is! Last week, we collected an unprecedented four samples in one day. From L to R: Sachintha, Dhanushka, Nimal (who may not be excited, but is instead questioning his life decisions that led him to hold a piece of elephant dung in his hand), and me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1552969582838-8ZZZSFMZ910QG5VNKS5U/rice.poop.jpg Blog - The scoop on (elephant) poop Recently, we found a grain of rice in one of the fecal samples we collected (that’s what the red arrow is pointing to). This is evidence that this elephant exited the park to forage on crops from nearby farmers. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1552969783938-X956EN13IGKJTBRSIK6G/20190120.Oth.051+copy.jpg Blog - The scoop on (elephant) poop Here’s a photo of a baby elephant. You earned it for putting up with the turd talk (okay, last poop alliteration, I swear). Wasgamuwa National Park, 20 Jan 2019. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/3/5/a-week-in-india monthly 0.5 2019-03-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551846687971-9E5JTDI89GENSF6X59FT/IMG_0294.JPG Blog - A short week in India A shot of the South and Central Asia Fulbrighters, taken on the first morning of the conference. Photo by USIEF. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551846790384-IJAW6W2WP7DRWPBCACS0/boat.jpg Blog - A short week in India A view from the ritualized boat ride to the main conference venue one morning in Kochi at Le Méridien. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551848905909-CJRA0ROMLZKN3NINBJWT/fishing.nets.2.jpg Blog - A short week in India One of the Chinese fishing nets from the back. The net is perfectly balanced, so that a person walks along the length of the beam to dip the net into the water, and then after a bit, a team of fishermen use ropes to bring in the catch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551849003304-O2WDQBOB4DX8TM41BASS/fishing.nets.jpg Blog - A short week in India Another shot, this time of a row of fishing nets during sunset. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551849681486-D2NKOIWY276W3ESOCULB/colors.jpg Blog - A short week in India Colorful dye powders on sale at one of the shops in Fort Kochi. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551849527900-THQUVN32DI1UZ9IGVAFA/Kochi.shores.jpg Blog - A short week in India A view of the shore from the Biennale exhibit in Fort Kochi. Our hotel is somewhere over there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551849582388-9H69D12KWK848R28WI2A/jain.temple.ele.jpg Blog - A short week in India Spotted another elephant on the gates to the Jain temple in Fort Kochi. Unfortunately, we arrived too late to actually enter the temple. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551851063673-8OJNJG824VYJ6S4SXGHF/podium.JPG Blog - A short week in India At the podium sharing my work. Photo: Sandarshi Gunawardena. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551851086594-O3ZDNXAZKYH3DXDJJXHM/panel.JPG Blog - A short week in India With the rest of the environmental science panelists during the question session. I look like I’m making some sort of point here; I can’t remember if that’s true or not. Photo: Sandarshi Gunawardena. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551851383128-MHWONX90D7OSZM7Q33XM/dancer.jpg Blog - A short week in India One night, we were enthralled with an outdoor Kuchipudi dance performance by Fulbright alumna Lalitha Sindhuri. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551851483608-9ZM5JF02DFPBUQGFSCM6/meal.jpg Blog - A short week in India A traditional Indian meal served during one of our lunches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551851523360-SCNBC4BXFRCVQD5AN91B/selfie.JPG Blog - A short week in India Quick break for a selfie during the last day of the conference with Meghana Nallajerla (another Sri Lanka Fulbright student) and Sandarshi Gunawardena (Executive Director of US-SLFC). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551851570084-6DADO7CN0U5COWDM2D3Y/fulbright.sl.JPG Blog - A short week in India Most of the US-SLFC contingent who attended the conference in Kochi (from L to R: Chase LaDue, Prema Arasu, Sandarshi Gunawardena, Meghana Nallajerla, and Katie Conlon). Missing from this photo are Dave and Dixie Damrel, who are also blogging about their Fulbright experience during their time in Kandy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551852038322-LHV43S9DQD799DXE0OTH/airport.eles.jpg Blog - A short week in India The procession of life-like elephant statues at the entrance of the Kochi airport. I have never felt like more of a tourist than when I was getting a shot of these from every angle with my iPhone camera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551852174603-1MZ4CSVSD5Q9RS2Y7DFE/Colombo.jpg Blog - A short week in India A view of Colombo from the window of my hotel room. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/2/24/an-elephant-in-the-garden-and-other-stories-from-the-field monthly 0.5 2019-02-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551057932236-STJYUXLE36KR49I501F8/20190219.Oth.004.JPG Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field A muddy female elephant we had a close encounter with on one of our slow days in elephant land. Wasgamuwa National Park, 19 Feb 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551059358038-F926H01DH96IJFHRZE0Y/20190219.065.003.JPG Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field Male 065 in musth on 19 Feb 2019 in Wasgamuwa National Park. He wasn’t the one who visited our garden, but he’s one of the elephants who we’ve since named. Meet “Nalagiri.” As Sachintha taught me, Buddhist teachings describe a man-killing elephant named Nalagiri who was sent to kill Buddha (spoiler alert: Buddha’s kindness and grace calmed the elephant before he could commit the act). We named him Nalagiri out of respect for the Buddhists in Sri Lanka, and because Nalagiri has some of the most bullet wounds of any of our elephants, a sure sign he’s had not-so-pleasant encounters with humans (like the Nalagiri of Buddhist legend). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551060716607-CCRNJDMOFYAA386XJMHV/feathers.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field The peacock feather carnage we observed on the side of the road… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551060838134-62AIH3B2O5QPKDZ7QMX1/python.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field …and what we discovered upon closer inspection. That’s Nimal pointing at the snake, with an arrow added by me to help drive home the point. I know it’s a bad picture, but I wasn’t getting out of the car to get a better one, sorry. Still, you can make out the pattern of the python’s scales as it is wrapped around the unfortunate peacock. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551061405512-Q95RN6DHPGPRAPHOXOSQ/gravel.nirosh.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field Our vehicle bottomed out on the pile of gravel, with Nirosh (left) using a stick to move away some of the gravel, and Dhanushka (right), our tracker for the day wishing he hadn’t agreed to ride with us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551061732756-M8HKVAX8HMCBT4H4BQ6R/gravel.nimal.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field Nimal resigning to making a phone call for rescue after getting stuck on top of the gravel pile…again. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551062203327-KNDG25CD42STQPUMDJLP/footprint.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field Bored wainting for our rescue vehicle, I took an opportunity to explore what was directly surrounding our vehicle. We see elephant footprints around the park all the time (they even fill with water after rain to provide drinking sources for other species), and you can make out the elephant’s nails at the top of the print. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551077455891-MO9B2OF3Q1BXY6MQAQU2/field.station.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field The field station for the Primate Conservation and Research Project, Sri Lanka, located in Dambulla. Inside this house, samples are processed, data are stored, and field assistants live. The jeep is Rajnish’s field vehicle https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551078399794-E12E5C0QU4AO4LFTV51K/stupa.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field A dagaba (stupa) in the forest reserve where the primate project takes place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551078504320-5QCOLW2AEH6NH3IDI09X/rajnish.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field Rajnish downloading the data from the weather station at his field site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1551078595634-CYH3N3WKEQU4XHG4EPM2/mountains.jpg Blog - An elephant in the garden, and other stories from the field A view from the clearing in the forest where the primate project takes place. I mean, it doesn’t have elephants, but I guess it’s pretty. https://www.cladue.org/blog/wasgamuwa-bulls monthly 0.5 2019-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549792101030-2O718FPNZDXJ45YW820B/Screen+Shot+2019-02-10+at+3.15.38+PM.png Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa An example of one of the ID cards we use in the field. Red arrows point on distinguishing marks. Age category 3 corresponds to an estimated age of 30-40 years. The date listed is the first date spotted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549791200194-VWQVK6PLOTVD9ATFWG0J/20181226.001.086.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Arnold (male 001) in heavy musth. Those reddish patches on the side of his head? Those are temporal gland secretions that communicate his condition to females and other males. Wasgamuwa National Park, 26 Dec 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549791010883-FK7CXXDG3HHLVDAQEINM/20181226.001.035.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s…musth? Wasgamuwa National Park, 26 Dec 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549790691514-QU2O6NPEK6W41JRACIO7/20181219.007.021.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa James (male 007) showing his distinctive coloration. Wasgamuwa National Park, 19 Dec 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549789822016-ECU7T6AXVXZGWSI64DNE/20181223.018.015.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Kevin (male 018) on a day he was particularly interested in our vehicle. Wasgamuwa National Park, 23 Dec 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549790218716-R0F1L4GF6QH38ORICJ6M/20181227.018.032.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa For over a week, we thought Kevin’s depigmentation was limited to his ears. Then one day it rained, washing all of the mud and dirt that had covered his face. Boy, were we wrong. It turns out he has this beautiful pink pattern that covers much of his face. Wasgamuwa National Park, 27 Dec 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549790479110-A4LLTKU77162YJ9ND0H1/kevin.vehicle.jpg Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa A special moment: Kevin approaches our vehicle and just watches us for a bit. Wasgamuwa National Park, 21 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549787370944-7VV60KJBVBY63RD47WFL/20190111.023.008.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Mason (male 023) walking towards our vehicle. Notice the pink splotches of depigmentation that are isolated to the tips of his ears. Wasgamuwa National Park, 11 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549787707384-6WC6NJ4RDTF48PU15UIS/20181224.023.007.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Mason (male 023; right) socializing with a female. Wasgamuwa National Park, 24 Dec 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549787218271-HFXJUQF6GDXCDSVPRDF6/20190120.038.020.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Gimpy (male 038) not looking so gimpy. Wasgamuwa National Park, 20 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549786916636-PD79VI973U2Q6AWU6YCE/20190111.038.004.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa How we first first came upon Gimpy (male 038). We feared for the worst. Wasgamuwa National Park, 11 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549787046170-PW3YSC0LRIRFBREXZZOV/20190111.038.031.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa …but then he got up as if to say, “What? Nothing’s wrong over here.” Those white marks though? Bird poop from the egrets sunning on his body when he was recumbent. It’s difficult to tell in this photo, but his right ankle is also very swollen. Wasgamuwa National Park, 11 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549786587795-ZHZLK05U3QBEJ0N5WPW4/20190121.046.039.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Jack, male 046. Notice the little bit of drainage at his temporal gland. This is a sign Jack has started his musth cycle. Wasgamuwa National Park, 21 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549786747122-EDDOSE8DEE4SYJ03VNIR/20190121.046.019.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Jack (left) and Kevin (right) during one of their stand-offs. Jack is using the weight of his head to push the tree down towards Kevin, maybe in an attempt to show his strength. Elephants are nothing like people, right? Wasgamuwa National Park, 21 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549786386378-0CYXHTGU8JX9PSXMIA7M/20190122.050.020.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa Nope, that’s not Photoshop. That’s actually how long Shortie’s trunk is. Wasgamuwa National Park, 22 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549786095831-02PYNDZGFATKT0P96BKZ/20190122.050.007.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa A full body shot of “Shortie” (Male 050), easily distinguishable with his short trunk. Wasgamuwa National Park, 22 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549784425195-5F8E0GTSG9VTI3V5V35N/20190128.052.004.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa I mean, look at those things. Male 052 “Dumbo,” Wasgamuwa National Park, 28 Jan 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788032833-JDL0ZLP17PL8O9RPPU1G/20181218.005.023.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788031113-ZYLW58UGE2WA0UAQ1LNP/20181219.010.003.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788136680-RU6BMG2JVMKOX97VMHRJ/20181219.012.001.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788153154-5MBGSKAC1T0RLZW5MIG2/20181220.017.017.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788256609-W83WY1Y29AJ5J0OBBUCH/20181221.020.016.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788277190-EVSDMV29HQ3VS7WT5YCL/20181228.036.003.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788370906-QTCQHXTN44040A1UXJCF/20190118.042.055.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788402237-GHC7VBNYYHRJYER5SRH5/20190118.043.014.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788499251-6U3EUZQC3OAX0FHHV3TX/20190119.040.013.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549788538463-U8IMHAM7B4TV94FN9VLE/20190120.047.018.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549789130826-6GXYH504VRAEDSQNPYTT/20190131.058.012.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549789218680-N6VD00RVJM2F04L3LK59/20190131.057.006.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549789313541-0PN68G3C2HXH3U0R4M50/20190127.056.031.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549789399633-4KY1NTQJ9JGBI1DC2LID/20190123.053.002.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549789457351-3KRP5KIGJX4R8MZJH75E/20190123.051.014.JPG Blog - Meet the bull elephants of Wasgamuwa https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/2/4/reflections-on-change monthly 0.5 2019-05-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549280916244-CERI2SLRWNH71T9CCKRT/20190120.Oth.012.JPG Blog - Reflections on change Female elephant smells our car as she walks by. Wasgamuwa National Park, 20 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549280533352-74M1M35MI61016C2TT9L/20190126.Mam.005.JPG Blog - Reflections on change One of a pair of golden jackals we followed through Wasgamuwa for a short bit one day. 26 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549283947960-DRW9G2WLXVU9HAVH5J1Z/fecal.collection.jpg Blog - Reflections on change I keep a watchful eye on two bull elephants in the distance as I collect a fecal sample left behind by one of them. Note: This work was conducted with the permission of Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation, and under the supervision of wildlife rangers at Wasgamuwa National Park. Photo: Sachintha Samaraweera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549284092876-BEF9WYJNH134OYFMUWHQ/20190123.Oth.010.JPG Blog - Reflections on change A male calf nurses from his mother. Wasgamuwa National Park, 23 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549279528633-ZLV94BNRQIMQO2OTDX0G/rain.vehicle.jpg Blog - Reflections on change Our stuck vehicle. The rain has just started. Our tracker (Nawa) is worried about his hair getting wet. The solution? Plastic bag on the head. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549279651728-MDZJOUJ8XOBUMOIT7LAD/mud.vehicle.jpg Blog - Reflections on change After the rain subsists, we tried stuffing sticks and even logs under the rear tires. No dice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549279751923-5IB97F3WDSHW4Y28BPFE/selfie.vehicle.jpg Blog - Reflections on change Waiting for our rescue vehicle to come. Not sure if Sachintha thinks he’s using some sort of force field to will the car out of the mud hole. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549279854813-2DYVU2QY2OAD8V3YJS9X/tow.vehicle.jpg Blog - Reflections on change Our vehicle in the front is now chained to the tow vehicle, full of Sri Lankan tourists who think I’m the biggest idiot they’ve ever seen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549280081128-QOB6NPKTUF94G0X0UI0F/IMG_20190122_171154.jpg Blog - Reflections on change I pose for a selfie with a girl from Nimal’s village. Nimal is also posing for the photo…he never passes up an opportunity for that. Note: Sachintha took this photo with the intent of posting it on social media to embarrass me. I figure that if I do it first, I take away his power to do that. Photo: Sachintha Samaraweera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1549280288188-FVI8IACVS34L483EK17I/20190127.056.068.JPG Blog - Reflections on change Sachinthat recording a musth male elephant (Bull 056) that approached our vehicle during our observation. Wasgamuwa National Park, 27 Jan 2019. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/1/16/visit-to-kandy-and-pinnawala-elephant-orphanage monthly 0.5 2019-01-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547645475085-P34LUQHKJ7QRUXULU1T2/DSC_0182.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage A bull elephant walking to the river to bathe. He’s carrying a log in his mouth to chew on later, and the chain around his neck is used to tether him in a safe location (this is for the safety of both the elephant himself and people). 14 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547645646140-CN23BTCBHSAPPCBNJ6ZY/DSC_0294.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Female elephants in the Maha Oya during a bathing session. 14 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547645771788-JK2LJE000EO4V4HHXT5D/DSC_0365.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage A group of elephants in the Maha Oya during a bathing session, taken from the balcony of our hotel. 14 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547645900785-XV9SPC310ITGW0PS2YNH/DSC_0476.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Elephants from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage following their mahout across the street to go bathing in the river. 14 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646031927-YQQ9UFJZ8ZQ9U2M8Y4SY/DSC_0578.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage A few younger elephants playing with each other in the river at Pinnawala. 14 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646151251-HII1Y2BZE3WCMA3YR0YK/DSC_0725.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage A sparring match between two elephants at Pinnawala. 15 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646251833-656Y7FPUC7COY2N1ZU5I/DSC_0761.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Portrait of an elephant at Pinnawala. 15 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646372011-AA3MSMBJFPSKWO4GVBCL/DSC_0811.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage A young elephant rests its trunk on the rocky shore of the Maha Oya, Pinnawala. 15 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646541523-YTNTROGNDALXFJ79LNE8/P1040904.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Wendy and I discuss elephants while watching elephants at Pinnawala. Photo: Elizabeth Freeman. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646699880-R3TY6NY8B2YMAFH5Y0VD/P1040857.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Connecting with an elephant at Pinnawala. Photo: Elizabeth Freeman. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547646903791-Z0W6R88DS7ZROJJ0RLKB/IMG_4571.JPG Blog - Visit to Kandy and Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage We couldn’t resist a selfie with the Pinnawala elephants. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2019/1/16/vgskkg18jv8dt0to2whup7771e08ap monthly 0.5 2019-01-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547633669688-NVMOSNDYJA0KPJ9DU219/train.jpg Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants A view from my seat on the train to Colombo. In one of the first-class cabins, there’s much more leg room than on a typical passenger plane. Fans above help cool down the space, but virtually every window was open on the journey. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547634805108-HZEVTTT7VC4QCYVI73O4/P1040237.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Wendy and I sit with a local macaque as we climb down the Aradhana Gala. Photo by Elizabeth Freeman, who walked inches past this monkey to get this shot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547635720496-G8CRV9EAOF6ET02N9UBU/P1040260.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Jimi, the resident dog at the bungalow in Wasgamuwa. Photo: Elizabeth Freeman. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547636333266-Z0W0IZWVVY7V20D3AC84/20190111.Oth.015.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants A photograph in the first female group we spotted in 2019 at Wasgamuwa National Park. 11 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547636427498-BK6RL21ORJ38OVAMKIIR/IMG_3752.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Nirosh inspecting the drive shaft resting on the ground during our vehicle breakdown in Wasgamuwa. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547636521143-VU4C91ELRZNXTIZEZUTA/IMG_3757.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants I’m really good at “supervising” vehicle repairs, as long as that means no one asks me what we should do. From the cabin, Sachintha offers Nirosh advice that’s probably more helpful. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547636666600-1NVM8US2EJ9YB5E2ACUG/IMG_3762.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants We took this group photo after admitting defeat and getting in touch with our rescuers. Left to right: Chase, Nirosh, Elizabeth, Sachintha, and Wendy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547636920785-HHKIXELUGQGGDG5N7XB7/IMG_3766.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants A shot from our “rescue vehicle” as we tow the broken vehicle behind us through Wasgamuwa. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547637089313-NK9R431R9NVO5QYL84E8/IMG_3745.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Collecting (elephant) fecal samples in the field, donning a shirt from another of our generous supporters, Asian Elephant Support. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547639331102-EULMIF4Q38YMKMI6MRTZ/20190111.023.007.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants We spotted Male 023 again in the field, so he’s officially been named “Mason” after my home university, George Mason University. Wasgamuwa National Park, 11 January 2019. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547643018510-6A546W918YN0Q3R5U9SQ/IMG_3917.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Elizabeth and me in the tower at Wasgamuwa, the best spot to get cellular signal to check emails from back home. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547637557659-VRY6LJ2BJ3US1I7GUVYC/IMG_3891.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Another successful fecal collection. Left to right: Sachintha, Chase, and DWC tracker Nawa. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547638518801-MMPIGWVQ12A3SGEFNWQS/IMG_2817.jpg Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants Our vehicle stuck in the mud during our last day in the field at Wasgamuwa. Yes, that’s the vehicle that rescued us a few days earlier. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547643265824-ODNKN3NZJAV0UCBR3Y05/IMG_4116.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants This time we waited until our vehicle predicament was over before taking a celebratory group shot. If we’re all in the shot, how was the photo taken? A camera with a self-timer balanced on a poop cooler. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1547643508533-CSTR1S46J4M2G6VC1RQT/IMG_4108.JPG Blog - Sparking joy, surrounded by elephants A great Sri Lankan breakfast in the tower at Wasgamuwa. Photo: Wendy Kiso. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/12/30/first-report-from-elephant-land monthly 0.5 2018-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546229989173-0WINJDVIXCALKA4Q1YXY/baby1.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Baby photo #1: Male elephant calf, Wasgamuwa National Park, Sri Lanka (25 Dec 2018). Photo by Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546230916776-IVXE4EB7CYKHWSILLSVH/sachintha.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Sachintha recording the vocalizations of a male in musth (Elephant 001, “Arnold”). Photo: Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546231550001-93PEP2OO8FHPI549LL2J/arnold1.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Arnold during one of the many bathing sessions we’ve observed, Wasgamuwa National Park, 23 December 2018. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546231693621-9EIYU62LZN6SDQM1OHGA/arnold+2.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Arnold feeding in the central floodplain, Wasgamuwa National Park, 23 December 2018. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546232940806-ZCFBAUOENYSHU7F71JGO/baby2.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Baby photo #2: Elephant calf, Wasgamuwa National Park, 28 December 2018. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546234505717-UFL7IQ9WMV1F3N7PXC5X/20181224.023.017.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Elephant 023 approaches our vehicle on Christmas Eve, maybe looking for a candy cane, Wasgamuwa National Park, 24 December 2018. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1546234780911-B3A8MDS3SFZWJNJHSGTN/20181219.Oth.039.JPG Blog - First field report from "elephant land" Baby photo #3: Elephant calf sticks close to mom as he nervously eyes a nearby cattle egret, Wasgamuwa National Park, 19 December 2018. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/12/14/exploring-all-mihintale-has-to-offer monthly 0.5 2018-12-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544774289643-XA6QXEVW1ONMOWLZ2GC8/stream.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer A look down one of the streams we sampled on Saturday. Simply beautiful (minus the clouds…but we avoided any rain). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544774131578-44O21U20CZU9QMSE41FV/class.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer Undegraduate students from Rajarata University listening to the day’s plan from their instructor, moments before they all enter this stream to begin sampling for various aquatic creatures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544774985404-9GZY2Y9SIHGVBTSOM1OC/steps+copy.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The steps at the base of Mihintale. Don’t let the low height of each step fool you into thinking this was an easy hike. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544775426019-EUSFFP8SDO73ZGJAEMKW/ruins.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The ruins of an old hospital at Mihintale, previously used by monks during ancient times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544776003495-HZ8JR0RDEM6KNL91PSVS/dagaba.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The Ambasthala Dagaba. The surrounding pillars indicate that there must have been some sort of structure surrounding/enclosing the dagaba at some point in history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544776101312-WD70NDO0QR0DQNANQD1F/statue.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer A statue of King Makalantissa outside the Ambasthala Dagaba. Taken with the iPhone’s ‘portrait mode.’ https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544776484048-1W58RH0DQMPYNI07ZRDZ/stupa.view.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The view of Mihintale from atop the Maha Stupa. You can see the whole town from here. See that tower in the distance towards the right? That’s where Rajarata University is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544776567428-768MSH1JQBWBMJSIQ6PH/selfie.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer A selfie of Thilina and I atop the Maha Stupa. My sweat shows that I still haven’t acclimated to Sri Lanka’s heat and humidity. Maybe by the time I leave, I will. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544777025089-I7QQ2FEJ6EDFT633X4ZY/buddha.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The Buddha statue. Wikipedia didn’t have anything to say about it, so neither do I. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544777479859-SEU7ZKX9XW7YWMN9MHDP/rock.climb.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The start of the climb to the top of Aradhana Gala. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544777664397-XYJN6K644DTOGM07NLGS/vantage.point.jpg Blog - Exploring all Mihintale has to offer The view from the top of Aradhana Gala. The Maha Stupa is to the left, and the Buddha statue is to the right. The Ambasthala Dagaba is the bit of white down there in the middle, covered by trees. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/12/7/first-elephant-sighting-house-hunters-sri-lanka monthly 0.5 2018-12-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544169419552-9LFXVP4GF2YFGXU561L0/8b3b1e98-ebec-4784-a88a-eacce95400a6.JPG Blog - First elephant sighting + House Hunters Sri Lanka A few weeks before I arrived in Sri Lanka, a wild male elephant wandered down the road where the university is located. I was told many of the locals weren’t sure if this was someone’s elephant who had gotten loose, and a few of the biology professors had to warn everyone to keep their distance. The elephant was led to a safer area further away. Photo courtesy of Chamika, one of the lecturers at Rajarata University. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544172045199-8MLBYH9Q9D73ZS0UK49W/food.jpg Blog - First elephant sighting + House Hunters Sri Lanka A typical lunch for me in Sri Lanka: rice, chicken, a few curries, and some sort of bread. All of this is made fresh, and costs 280 rupees, or $1.57. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544172244373-NAWSXIIUUE8RU97R0Y1M/vehicle.jpg Blog - First elephant sighting + House Hunters Sri Lanka My trusty steed during fieldwork, parked outside the bungalow where I’ll be staying: a 4x4 vehicle that easily traverses the rough terrain that’s sometimes present in Wasgamuwa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544172346047-TJOC1RXFUXDB9AAZNXYX/peacock.jpg Blog - First elephant sighting + House Hunters Sri Lanka A male peacock displaying to a female peahen close to the entrance of Wasgamuwa. Fun animal fact for the day: just like in chickens, male peafowl are called peacocks, and female peafowl are called peahens. The more you know. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544172565499-RPTDFYET3C3KVL2T4LBE/monitor.jpg Blog - First elephant sighting + House Hunters Sri Lanka A young water monitor we observed traversing one of the roads in Wasgamuwa. These lizards can get fairly large (the largest ever recorded in Sri Lanka was 10.5 feet long), but are usually harmless to humans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1544172677471-6CC5KNUHQNJPHSU0VDCF/elephant.jpg Blog - First elephant sighting + House Hunters Sri Lanka My first elephant sighting for this trip to Sri Lanka: a rotund makhna. We stayed and watched this guy eat for about twenty minutes before moving on. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/11/30/podcast-recommendations-for-monolingual-americans-in-sri-lanka-plus-quick-updates monthly 0.5 2018-12-03 https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/11/23/leaving-the-city monthly 0.5 2018-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542953717566-515R70SW85EHLAE1HPPS/07bf5d39-4cbd-4e80-a545-8f822dfff5ca.JPG Blog - Leaving the city The 2018-19 cohort of Fulbrighters, along with most of the US-SLFC staff, at the US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission in Colombo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542955081637-2DVWW7ZI4C0UO25MSIQ4/crossing.jpg Blog - Leaving the city A photo of an elephant crossing sign taken from the ride from Colombo to Mihintale. Elephants pose a serious risk to many human communities surrounding national parks, and many elephants are killed due to train or vehicle collisions. For more elephant photos like this one, find the link to my Instagram on my Contact page. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542957529486-GVCEUP31EMUBGU8EJMSF/bungalow.jpg Blog - Leaving the city My “bungalow” at the Ringling Bros. Center for the Study and Conservation of the Asian Elephant at RUSL. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542957863565-7755JS2NRNN0JA435L02/kitchen.jpg Blog - Leaving the city The kitchen at the Ringling Bros. Center for the Study and Conservation of the Asian Elephant at Rajarata University. As if I needed another sign, I’m in the right place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542959772906-HKOCLPCROVTDEB0T10HF/buffalo.jpg Blog - Leaving the city The friendly herd of water buffalo I regularly pass on my way from the Center to the Faculty of Applied Sciences at RUSL. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/11/17/xe7njw55997mogemfllmwch4dq0qla monthly 0.5 2018-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542453915294-AFWLFIY09UGEH0J72BSK/IMG_6354.JPG Blog - A whirlwind week: Starting off with a bang A quick selfie by Nilwala and Sanjeewa’s son, taken after our walk on the beach. I feel pretty tall around most Sri Lankans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542455304168-RX98H4P54PTCGGNYBTEQ/photo1.jpg Blog - A whirlwind week: Starting off with a bang The beginning: Duneeshya explains some of the ingredients we’ll be using to prepare our traditional Sri Lankan feast (as US-SLFC Executive Director Sandarshi looks on). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542455408497-ZEHAKRPV856SM3KYEXCS/photo2.jpg Blog - A whirlwind week: Starting off with a bang The end product: the dishes we learned how to prepare at Dunee’s Kitchen. Even though it was all delicious, we couldn’t finish about half of this! https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/11/13/the-adventure-has-begun monthly 0.5 2018-11-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1542118732232-PX43308TT01WIGKHPSXH/IMG_1331.jpg Blog - The adventure has begun A view of Colombo from my hotel room. It was foggy on Tuesday morning when I took this photo, but on Monday morning, I could see the Indian ocean beyond the skyscrapers. https://www.cladue.org/blog/2018/4/26/blog-posts-coming-soon monthly 0.5 2018-04-26 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/Tourism monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/Photography monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/Fulbright monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/Sri+Lanka monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/Elephant monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/Zoo monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/blog/tag/India monthly 0.5 https://www.cladue.org/research daily 0.75 2026-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/fa570d97-eeb3-410f-a48b-be0936f7420f/DSC_7670.JPG Research - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.cladue.org/home daily 1.0 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/5acd5ebd-abc6-473c-8b03-59ae4e0a6791/DSC_7382.JPG Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/c0172db2-524c-451f-9896-0df3a43e83c5/tempImageETGppG.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/3adbbd0e-e8f1-4e38-9a88-2c2ed8dcecff/SLEP_Logo-25_AltHorizontal_LightBG.png Home - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.cladue.org/contact daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/d0be3a95-25ac-47d7-bd5e-cc61f0ac2b4f/d1a4b5c2-602f-49dc-bc25-e1deb6b8ff05.JPG Contact Chase with Rosie and Tai. https://www.cladue.org/about daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/3f32e31e-4964-4317-8e6c-20ed96ea10ac/IMG_0121.png About https://www.cladue.org/travel daily 0.75 2024-09-11 https://www.cladue.org/research/musth daily 0.75 2023-02-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1564792713751-1DBZ1DBQL9RUK43AHMQE/aDSC_0731.jpg Musth A male Asian elephant in musth, distinguishable by temporal gland secretions on side of head. Minneriya National Park, Sri Lanka, July 2017. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1564792755429-IOB9UEMK44J9DHG9ZH3Y/aDSC_0555.jpg Musth Asian elephant in Kaudulla National Park, Sri Lanka, July 2017. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://www.cladue.org/research/chemical-ecology daily 0.75 2021-02-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1564792822836-FZZJE4OBQ7VBZ84UJPJR/DSC_0070.jpg Chemical Ecology A mature male Asian elephant in a zoo, August 2015. Photo: Chase LaDue. https://www.cladue.org/contact-form daily 0.75 2019-02-06 https://www.cladue.org/research/zoo-elephant-wellness daily 0.75 2022-04-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1564792875994-UIB867S6P3I5Z5U8JROW/gypsy.jpg Zoo Elephant Wellness https://www.cladue.org/teaching daily 0.75 2023-09-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1612544573799-THUF3Z7I30MYF89E0P6E/IMGA0472.jpg Teaching Assessing a student’s ability to identify animal tracks and signs (and describe associated behaviors) during a field course in South Africa, 2016. https://www.cladue.org/conservation daily 0.75 2021-05-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1612544419085-QTVNYSB6OW143VXT1437/aDSC_0277.jpg Conservation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/592dcc4a5016e1a41ee6ebcf/1621364443832-QB8RTCMOVSZSNFX8ASBL/LaDue+et+al+TOC+Image.JPG Conservation - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.cladue.org/outreach-1 daily 0.75 2023-09-12