SL's great elephant migration:

One of world's greatest wildlife events - CNN

Poachers have decimated the elephant population across Africa and parts of Asia, killing thousands of animals for their revered ivory. Yet in Sri Lanka, home to some 7,000 wild Asian elephants, a different, more hopeful story is playing out, states CNN in a report published yesterday (13).

The writer, Kip Patrick, says that it's a story that's attracting truckloads' of tourists from around the world to witness a stunning wildlife spectacle, simultaneously raising concern among conservationists, about how increasing numbers of visitors may be impacting the large mammals.

"In North-Central Sri Lanka's Minneriya National Park, hundreds of elephants travel each year to the shores of an ancient reservoir built by a king more than 1,700 years ago. They've made the trip for centuries, coming from across the region to bathe, mate, socialize and most importantly, to feed as part of an annual event known as "The Gathering," he explains.

During the dry season (July through early November), the water in the reservoir recedes. In its place, lush green grass grow, providing a veritable feast for the hungry pachyderms.

Between meals, the elephants head into the reservoir, spraying themselves with the shallow, muddy waters to create one of the world's biggest pool parties. "Where else can you get so close to so many wild elephants at once?" asks James Thomas, a lawyer visiting The Gathering from Melbourne.

"Watching massive herds of elephants bathe as the sun sets over the nearby mountains, is an experience I'll never forget."

The island nation's prolonged war, which ended in May 2009, kept the country off most people's itineraries.

Since then, however, word of Sri Lanka's diverse wildlife, spectacular beaches and myriad cultural activities has spread: in 2012, tourist arrivals grew up 17.5 percent over 2011, hitting 1,055,605 according to government officials.

The Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority is pining its hopes on the continued success of 'The Gathering', even building specific marketing activities around the annual event in an effort to attract more visitors to Minneriya, CNN said.

In 2011, officials christened September the "Wlidlife Month" distributing full-colour brochures that proclaimed, The Gathering' "one of the most unforgettable and fantastic evens in the international wildlife calendar."

As word about Minneriya's main attraction spreads, the hope is that massive herds of elephants would continue migrating to the park each dry season, as they had for hundreds of years.

As long as they do, it's a safe bet that more and more tourists would travel to Sri Lanka to experience, what truly is one of the world's greatest wildlife events.