Q&A with Anna Katharina Raaben: Conservation and Wildlife at Uga Ulagalla

I spent the first 29 years of my life in Germany. As a child, I was fascinated by wildlife, and most of my early knowledge came from watching nature documentaries. I dreamed of working with animals and protecting wildlife, but growing up in Germany, I had no idea how to make that dream a reality or build a career around it. Instead, I entered the corporate world and worked as a buyer for a German retail company. As I progressed in my career and began to earn more, I finally had the opportunity to travel to the places I had seen in those documentaries. But it didn’t take long for me to realise how uncomfortable I felt on well-organised, all-inclusive trips. It felt like window-shopping: you can see everything, but you never truly connect. I wanted to be part of the environment, not just observe it from the outside. The turning point came during a trip to the Galápagos Islands. I decided that would be my last pre-booked, packaged holiday. I wanted something real – and volunteering became that pathway.

My first volunteering trip took me to South Africa. It wasn't luxurious and there was no special treatment, but it was an incredible, life-changing experience. From that moment forward, I spent all my holidays volunteering, and it was deeply rewarding. My final volunteer placement before making a life change was in Zululand, where I worked on wild dog and rhino conservation projects. I cried like a child when it was time to leave – I had finally found my happy place. I booked another trip to South Africa within a week of returning home, and when I went back, I knew with certainty what I needed to do. I returned to Germany – this time without tears – resigned from my well-paid job, gave up my apartment, and moved to South Africa and Botswana for a year. That "year" never truly ended. I never went back. I met my husband in South Africa, and life eventually led me to Sri Lanka, which I have proudly called home for the past seven years.

I always like to say that we never planned the ERC to become what it is today – it simply evolved the way it was meant to. When I started in November 2020, we were in the midst of Covid and the hotel was very quiet. Together with my team, we made use of the time available and spent hours exploring the property and its surroundings. Although we knew elephants lived in the area, we had not yet connected with any of them. What truly amazed us was the incredible wildlife within the hotel grounds – from fishing cats and otters to lorises. In January 2021, we had our first sighting of a large tusker on one of our trail cameras as it passed along the boundary of the property. At the time, I could never have imagined how significant this elephant would become in the years to follow. It all began with a simple logbook where we recorded dates, times, and locations of elephant sightings. It didn't take long for the pages to fill, especially as we encountered more elephants during our scenic drives in the area.

Alongside the excitement, we also became increasingly aware of the challenges faced by both elephants and the communities living here. Human–elephant conflict (HEC) was real – and it was unfolding right around us. That realisation compelled us to take action, and that was when the ERC truly began. We connected with other researchers, developed and refined our field methods, and shared our data to support island-wide research efforts. We also became involved in initiatives to mitigate HEC, including constructing our first village fence in 2022 – the same year the ERC office was established. Today, the ERC serves as a space to meet guests, share knowledge, and inspire meaningful conversations. Beyond research and conflict-mitigation projects, perhaps our most important mission is to raise awareness and educate. Education is the key to making a difference and creating lasting change. Elephants are so deeply connected to Sri Lankan identity, yet coexistence can be complex.