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Sri Lanka counts elephants in hopes of saving them

Sri Lankan wild elephants walk through a field at a wild life sanctuary in Minneriya on August 12.
Sri Lankan wild elephants walk through a field at a wild life sanctuary in Minneriya on August 12.Ishara S. Kodikara / AFP - Getty Images

Sri Lanka began surveying its wild elephant population living in national parks as part of a conservation drive to protect the dwindling animals. The island's elephant population has dwindled to some 4,000 from a high of 12,000 recorded in 1900s, according to the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The two-day survey ends on August 13.