A love of animal conservation and Ceylon tea led father and
daughter Ron and Shani Atapattu to start Elephantea, a business
that lets them share both passions with the world.
BY EMILY CROWE
Saving Sri Lanka's Elephants
With the Help of a Cup of Tea
B
eginning at a young age, Shani Atapattu's father
Ron taught her the importance of respecting
animals, treating them right, and admiring the
largest of them from a distance. While she has had a life-
long desire to aid in animal conservation, it wasn't until
recently that Atapattu's inclinations led her into running
a specialty food business.
A Fated Trip to Sri Lanka
Ron, who was born and raised in the small island country of Sri
Lanka, took Shani, her husband, and their families on a trip to
his homeland as a first-anniversary gift in late 2014. While there,
Ron arranged for the visitors to learn about the country's signature
Ceylon tea, and also venture into rainforests and deep brush to
observe herds of elephants in their natural habitat.
Shani Atapattu was awestruck by the elephants and began
learning about their storied history in Sri Lanka, as well as their
severely endangered status. It is estimated that there are only a few
thousand wild elephants left in Sri Lanka after more than a century
of elephant hunting and human intrusion. Atapattu's urge to cre-
ate awareness and proactive change on behalf of the beleaguered
animals was ignited. "We thought about what we could do to save
PHOTO: BIGSTOCK
PHOTOS:
ELEPHANTEA
giving back
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