Additional objectives for 2004 include obtaining ecological data to develop a baseline on the local elephant populations at the project site in Wasgamuwa; to ascertain elephant numbers, herd composition, feeding habits (including patterns in crop raiding), and annual ranging behaviors. Seven youth from the Wasgamuwa area have been selected and trained to record direct and non-direct elephant observations, participate in dung counts and dung analysis, conduct human-elephant conflict surveys including crop and property damage, perform line transect studies, and use GPS to coordinate all field observations and identify the areas extensively used by the elephants in this region. Long-term solutions for elephant management will be developed with a better understanding of the biology and ecology of the elephants.