# Elephant communities fracture as losses outpace newcomers

> Asian elephant societies in Sri Lanka fracture when steady losses exceed new members.
- Title: Elephant communities fracture as losses outpace newcomers
- Summary: Asian elephant societies in Sri Lanka fracture when steady losses exceed new members.
- Keywords: udawalawe national park, asian elephants, sri lanka, fission-fusion society, elephant population decline, conservation, wildlife management, Ars Technica
- Source: Ars Technica — https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/11/in-elephants-the-resilience-of-communities-has-its-limits
- Published: 2026-11-13T20:03:13+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: udawalawe national park, asian elephants, sri lanka, fission-fusion society, elephant population decline, conservation, wildlife management, technology, science
## Elephant societies in Sri Lanka
Elephants live in complex societies that hold together despite individual deaths and movements.
## Study of Asian elephants
Anastasia Madsen and colleagues analyzed 12 years of observations of wild Asian elephants in Sri Lanka.
## Udawalawe National Park
The park was created in the 1970s around a reservoir on one of Sri Lanka’s four major rivers.
## Park transformation
The park became grassland after settlers left, attracting elephants but later facing invasive plants.
## Invasive plants problem
Invasive plants like lantana create impenetrable thickets that reduce elephant forage and movement.

> In some places, they’re like an impenetrable thicket. Not even elephants really like to go there because there’s no food for them
## Elephant social structure
Females form fission-fusion societies with shifting group memberships.
## Social network analysis
Researchers mapped elephant relationships to identify communities within the social network.
## Early signs of fracture
Communities began to fracture as losses outpaced new members by 2012.
## Population decline
By 2018, 69 percent of the original females were gone despite elephants living up to 60 years.
## Fracturing process
Fracturing started with weak ties, then progressed to stronger relationships.

> The first ties to go were the weakest, the casual acquaintances
## Flickering lights
Network fluctuations before collapse could serve as early warning signs.
## Current challenges
Elephant populations face human conflict and habitat loss, reducing survival rates.
## Key takeaway

A study shows Asian elephant communities in Sri Lanka fracture when steady losses exceed new members, reducing social networks and survival rates.