Ruvinda de Mel

Ruvinda de Mel
University of New England | UNE · Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology

BSc (Hons) Zoology (Colombo) MSc Wildlife Conservation (Bristol)

About

22
Publications
16,089
Reads
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60
Citations
Additional affiliations
August 2013 - July 2014
University of Colombo
Position
  • Temporary demonstrator
Education
September 2015 - September 2016
University of Bristol
Field of study
  • Global Wildlife Health and Conservation

Publications

Publications (22)
Article
Full-text available
We assessed the level of stereotypic behaviour of captive elephants in three institutions in Sri Lanka. At each institution four animals were studied using focal animal sampling. The results showed that elephants at the National Zoological Gardens had significantly higher stereotypic behaviour than elephants at the other two institutions. The reaso...
Article
Full-text available
Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 is listed as an Endangered species (Choudhury et al. 2008). The Sri Lankan sub population of Asian Elephant is also listed as a Nationally Endangered species (MOE 2012). In addition to its wild population, Sri Lanka currently maintains a captive population of elephants for various purposes including exhibition, work a...
Article
Full-text available
In Sri Lanka thirty species of cetaceans have been recorded to date. The canyon at Trincomalee bay is a multiple submarine canyon complex and anecdotal reports suggest that the Trincomalee bay and its adjacent waters are utilised by a number of cetacean species. Though Cetaceans are known to be abundant in the waters off Trincomalee there is a dear...
Article
Full-text available
Chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ), constitutes a major threat to many amphibian species worldwide. Predicting the species and regions of highest geographical risk is critical for the early detection and mitigation of chytrid emergence. In this study, using a niche modelling approach, the most conducive habitat for Bd...
Article
Full-text available
Sri Lanka supports a high biodiversity and nearly one third of its mammalian fauna comprise of bats. Sri Lanka’s bats are understudied with few data available about their roosting habits, particularly in agricultural ecosystems. Here we report the findings of a preliminary survey, conducted to explore how bats use available anthropogenic structures...
Article
Full-text available
Animal-borne aversive geofencing devices (AGDs, or satellite-linked shock collars) are commercially available and used on livestock to restrict their movement within a virtual boundary. This technology has potential application as a human-wildlife conflict mitigation tool, where problem animals might be conditioned to avoid human-dominated habitats...
Article
Aversive Geofencing Devices (AGDs) are designed to emit audible warning signals followed by electric shocks when animals reach virtual fences (VFs) with the intent that animals will learn to turn away at audio warnings and thereby avoid receiving shocks. AGDs are a potentially useful tool for mitigating human-elephant conflict, but a greater unders...
Book
Full-text available
This book provides an overview about the biodiversity of the Ampara district, the drivers that affect the biodiversity and the current trends in the biodiversity in the district.
Book
Full-text available
This book provides an overview about the biodiversity of the Mannar district, the drivers that affect the biodiversity and the current trends in the biodiversity in the district.
Article
Full-text available
Asian elephants are a principal cause of human-wildlife conflict. This results in the death/injury of elephants and humans and large-scale crop and property damage. Most current human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation tools lack the flexibility to accommodate the ecological needs of elephants and are ineffective at reducing HEC in the long-term. H...
Article
Full-text available
The painted bat, Kerivoula picta (Pallas, 1767) is considered one of the most aesthetically appealing bats in Sri Lanka with bright orange fur and black wings. However, very little information is available with regard to the ecology of this species in both local and global contexts. Of its roosting habits, Phillips (1980) reports that in Sri Lanka...
Article
Full-text available
Human-monkey conflicts became a serious problem in Sri Lanka due to extensive deforestation during and after the country's 26-year ethnic war that ended in 2009. By 2015, these conflicts had affected most of the country's administrative districts, and the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) was under severe public and political pressure to re...
Article
Full-text available
In 2006, the western purple-faced langur (Semnopithecus vetulus nestor) was listed as among the world's 25 most endangered primates. A field survey conducted the following year indicated that its population was threatened by human activities , especially deforestation. To address this threat, meetings were held with the community leaders of Waga, a...
Article
Full-text available
The dugong (Dugong dugon, Muller 1776) is a mammal considered Vulnerable globally and Endangered locally. In Sri Lankan dugongs are found in calm shallow waters of the Northwest, North and east coast viz., from Kalpitiya to Jaffna with sporadic reports from Trincomalee and Batticaloa. It is a one of the least known mammals occurring in the Sri Lank...
Article
Full-text available
Dive times of a single Blue Whale observed in Trincomalee Bay, Sri Lanka, in relation to the abiotic parameters of the bay’s waters and its ability to support large densities of krill from May 2011 to July 2011. Thirty five total dives were observed and its mean dive time was 9.6 ± 0.31 min. The observed whale’s feeding dives lasted longer than wha...
Article
Full-text available
In the current study we attempt to identify eight baleen whale carcasses that were washed ashore to the Western, Northwestern and Southern coasts of Sri Lanka in 2010, using molecular phylogenetic techniques. Initial physical examination suggested that these carcasses belonged to blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus). Analysis of sequences of the mit...

Questions

Questions (6)
Question
My university doesn't allow the New mendeley reference manager word plugin to be installed on the work computer. However, if there was an exe file for the plugin, this could be bypassed. Any ideas/suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.
Question
I'm looking for these two articles by W.C.O Hill but am unable to find them. I'd be grateful if someone could help me in this regard. Many thanks in advance.
A monograph on the purple-faced leaf-monkeys (Pithecus vetulus) Ceylon Journal of Science B. 19: 23–88.
The highland macaque of Ceylon". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 43: 402–406
Question
Hi all,
I need a tag to look into the ranging behaviour of magpie robins (35g in weight). Any recommendations on a tag that's cheap but reliable? would be ideal if it is GPS and where I don't need to retrieve the tag but I suspect the cost would be quite high? any suggestions would be very welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Ruvi
Question
I'm trying to analyse cortisol concentrations from faecal matter and would like to know how many days the hormonal residues are present in the samples before they are collected from the wild.
Question
The binary logistic regression model i ran shows (significantly) that high parasite burdens drive towards higher survival rates in hedgehogs being rehabilitated. its similarly confounding when analysing (using BLR) parasite intensity vs anthropogenic injuries. results show high intensity drives towards natural injuries. is there any publications out there that deals with similar results? thanks in advance.
Question
there are 3 Independant variables. weight, age (range 1-3), infection (range 0-3). the dependant variables are case type (1,0) and result (1,0). 

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