v7i4.208

ISSN: 1800-427X (print)
eISSN: 1800-427X (online)
DOI:10.47605/tapro.v7i4.208

Submitted date: 10 September 2014
Accepted date: 27 July 2015
Published date: 15 August 2015
Pp. 275–276.

THE MAN WHO LOVED ELEPHANTS AND STUDENTS: a tribute to Dr. Charles Santiapillai (1944–2014)

Sujan M. Henkanaththegedara & Upali S. Amarasinghe
*Corresponding author. E-mail:

He was a man who tirelessly worked to save elephants; He was a man who truly loved his profession, students and fellow colleagues; He was a man who has provided a great role model for budding scientists with continuous guidance and encouragement. More importantly, he was a kind and honest human being, who always tried to help and cheer fellow human beings. Dr. Charles Santiapillai, a world-renowned conservation biologist, passed away on the 29th October, 2014 peacefully amongst family at home in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He is a pioneering wildlife biologist who worked for the conservation of Asian elephants. His monumental work “The Asian Elephant: An Action Plan for its Conservation” captures his lifelong dedication for elephant conservation and sets the path not only for conservation of Asian elephants, but also for all large mammals in the brink of extinction.