An elephant feeding on aquatic plants, in Wilpattu national Park, Sri Lanka

This film showcases a male Asian elephant feeding on aquatic vegetation in a natural lake named 'Borupanvila' in Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka. Wilpattu, literally translates to the ‘Land of Lakes.’ The park owes its name to these unique, rain-fed water basins, known locally as villus. Because of this intricate network of wetland ecosystems, Wilpattu is recognized globally as a vital Ramsar wetland site. The gentle giant pulls the grass, reeds or aquatic plants from the lakebed using his trunk. Before taking a bite, he carefully swishes and rinses the plants in the water. There is a critical biological reason for this behavior. #wilpattu #elephant #wildsrilanka #asianelephant #srilanka