Latest Publications

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Popular Press

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de Silva, S., Jacewicz, N., Kovaka, K., Ferraro, K., Callendar, C., Jamieson, D., Prakash, A. 2025. Navigating synergies vs. trade-offs between climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. npj Biodiversity 4, 22 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-025-00092-8. [Full text]

Avicena, N.R., Loo, Y.Y., Maul, T., Thong, N., Wong, C.C.T., de Silva, S., Saaban, S. and Wong, E.P., 2025. Living with elephants: Deep learning models performance in examining Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) sounds from Sri Lanka and Malaysia with considerations for application. Biological Conservation, 309, p.111272. [Full text]

Bates, L., Fishlock, V.L., Plotnik, J., de Silva, S. and Shannon, G., 2025. Knowledge transmission, culture and the consequences of social disruption in wild elephants. Philosophical Transactions B, 380(1925), p.20240132. [Full text]

Greggor, A.L., de Silva, S.*, Brown, C., Jesmer, B.R., Noble, D.W., Mueller, T., Ruiz-Miranda, C.R., Rutz, C., Scott, S.E. and Williams, J., 2025. Strategies for integrating animal social learning and culture into conservation translocation practice. Philosophical Transactions B, 380(1925), p.20240138. [Full text] *Co-corresponding author.

de Silva, S. 2024. Elephants: Behavior and Conservation. Cambridge University Press. [Link]
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Madsen, A. and de Silva, S. 2024. Societies with fission–fusion dynamics as complex adaptive systems: the importance of scale. Philosophical Transactions B, 379(1909), p.20230175. [Full text]
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de Silva, S., Ruppert, K., Knox, J., Davis, E.O., Weerathunga, U.S. and Glikman, J.A. 2023. Experiences and emotional responses of farming communities living with Asian Elephants in Southern Sri Lanka. Trees, Forests and People, 14, p.100441. [Full text]

de Silva, S., T. Wu, P. Nyhus et al. 2023. "Land-use change is associated with multi-century loss of elephant ecosystems in Asia." Scientific Reports 13, 5996. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-30650-8
[Full text] [PDF] [Blog]

Madsen, A.E., C. Minge, T.V. Pushpakumara, et al. 2022. "Strategies of protected area use by Asian elephants in relation to motivational state and social affiliations." Scientific Reports 12, 18490. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-22989-1 [Full text] [PDF]

For a full list, please see Google Scholar.

South China Morning Post - 4/27/2023

• "Asian elephant habitat shrinks almost two-thirds in 300 years, including 94 percent drop in China, study finds." - South China Morning Post (27 April 2023)
• "Almost two thirds of elephant habitat lost across Asia, study finds" - CNN (27 April 2023)
• “Buzz off! Elephants give bees a wide birth” – Cosmos Magazine (26 January 2018)
• “Elephants are very scared of bees. That could save their lives” – New York Times (26 January 2018)
• “Asian elephant herds lack clear matriarchs, strict hierarchy: new study” – Mongabay (18 October 2016)
• “Dwarf Elephant Beats Up Big Rival” – BBC Earth (7 January 2015)
• “Elephant ‘Speaks’ Like A Human – Uses Trunk To Shape Sound” – National Geographic (2 November 2012).
• “Asian Elephants Are Social Networkers” – ScienceNOW (26 July 2011).
• “Elephant Study Reveals Social Bonds, Communication Skills” – Voice of America (radio, 29 August 2011).​