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There is a unique correlation between elephants and the social, cultural and ecological values of Sri Lanka. However, the human-elephant conflict, which affects both sides, has not yet found a proper solution. As elephants acquire a significant position in Sri Lanka, and are loved by many, images and photos of them are widely shared through social media platforms, at times alongside misleading narratives. Here is a fact check we did regarding such a misleading photo.
Social Media Posts :
A photo showing two white elephants travelling was posted on the SL- Breaking News Facebook page on July 28th, with the caption “A pair of white elephants in Panampattu that amazes local and foreign tourists”.
Although the above Facebook post provided two links to access further information about these two elephants, neither of those links provided any additional information.
Accordingly, we investigated whether this claim about white elephants is valid.
Fact Check :
The country’s electronic and print media constantly report on the elephants in the country. Accordingly, if two such different types of elephants were found, they would undoubtedly be given publicity through mainstream media. Therefore, we checked whether there had been any recent reports in the mainstream media regarding it, but we could not find any reports.
Further information was sought regarding this matter, and it was observed that on the Facebook page Lifetrackerz, videos and photographs of two elephants similar to the two elephants shown in these photographs had been posted on the 24th and 28th of July.
Another instance below.
Accordingly, the original owner of the above photos and videos, Lifetrackerz, has stated on his Facebook page that the two wild elephants are two elephants roaming around Panama’s Peanut Farm Beach and that they look like two white elephants due to the sandy white mud covering their bodies.
Accordingly, upon closer inspection of the video posted on our Lifetrackerz page, it was observed that the area where the two elephants were roaming had sandy white soil. The actual colour of their skin, which shows a darker complexion, could be seen from place to place on their backs.
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For further confirmation, we inquired with several residents of the Panama area about this. They confirmed that these elephants are not white, but instead it seems so because of the sandy white soil of the region, and they dust themselves with soil.
We asked the Environmental activist Jayantha Wijesinghe, and he also mentioned that they look like white elephants as they roll on white sandy soil. He further confirmed that, so far, there have been no reports of white elephants from any part of Sri Lanka.
Have there been any reports of white/albino elephants in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has documented evidence of white/leucistic elephants. The most famous case is “Sudu Aliya” (white elephant) in Yala National Park, first observed in 1993 and sighted multiple times through 2004. This female exhibits leucism, not true albinism – she’s light tan colored with white body hair but retains a black tail tuft. There are also past reports of white elephant sightings at Maduru Oya National Park.
However, cases represent natural genetic variations within healthy breeding populations, not separate subspecies.
Scientific justification: White elephants occur due to genetic mutations affecting melanin production. While complete albinism is extremely rare, leucism (partial pigment loss) is possible in Asian elephant populations. The Sri Lankan subspecies (Elephas maximus maximus) already shows natural depigmentation patches on ears, face, trunk and belly, making leucistic variants genetically plausible.
Regional presence: Similar white elephants have been reported in Myanmar and Thailand, indicating this genetic variation exists across Asian elephant populations.
Also Read:
A photo of a 900 kg Albino Elephant in Thailand? Find out the truth…
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Conclusion :
Our investigation reveals that the social media post that mentioned there are two white elephants in the area of Panampattuwa is misleading. These elephants are not white but instead appear whitish because of the sandy white soil of the region, which the elephants had dusted themselves with.
