Una mandria di elefanti nel parco nazionale srilankese di Minneriya

In this photo taken Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011, a herd of Asiatic wild elephants gather at a national park in Minneriya, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Thousands of wildlife officials and volunteers have taken up positions on treetop huts near reservoirs and watering holes for Sri Lanka’s first national count of its dwindling wild elephant population. The Wildlife Department says the three-day census through Sunday night is aimed at gathering information to help the government formulate a plan to protect the elephants. (AP Photo/Chamila Karunarathne)