Lyn de Alwis

From the list of elephant persons Family: de Alwis

☨ Lyn de Alwis

Profession	zoo director
Personal details
Born	1930-10-27 in Sri Lanka

Dead	2006-11-22 in Sri Lanka

Residence
Address	30 Hotel Road
Place	Mount Lavinia
District	Colombo
Country	Sri Lanka

Organisations

Title	chairman 1985-1997
Organisation	at IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) in

Locations
Title	consultant 1996
Location	at Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo) in Sri Lanka

Title	consultant 1986-1986
Location	at Singapore Night Safari in Singapore

Title	director 1978-1985
Location	at Pinnawala elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka

Title	consultant 1970-1973
Location	at Singapore Zoo in Singapore

Title	director 1962-1985
Location	at Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo) in Sri Lanka

Title	zoologist 1955-1962
Location	at Sri Lanka National Zoological Gardens (Dehiwela Zoo) in Sri Lanka

Relevant literature

Biography details

Lyn de Alwis , zoo director in Sri Lanka

de Alwis was born * 1930-10-27 in Sri Lanka dead 2006-11-22 , in Sri Lanka .

For five years between 1965-70, Mr de Alwis concurrently held the position of both Zoo Director and Director of Wildlife Conservation from 1965-1970 and 1977-1983. During those years, he established several sanctuaries and national parks, including the Uda Walawe National Park.

GAJAH 53 (2021) 56-59
During Lyn’s tenure as the Director of the Department of Wildlife, the first intensive
behavioural and ecological studies of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) were conducted in Sri Lanka. In 1966, the Department of Wildlife and the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society made a request to the Smithsonian Institution in the USA to initiate a detailed study of the Sri Lankan elephant. The Smithsonian put together a team that included Drs. Fred Kurt, Melvyn C. Lockhart, George M. McKay, and Robert Olivier with Dr. John F. Eisenberg as the team leader. They conducted their studies from 1967–1978.
Ravi Corea, Gajah 53 (2021) 56-59

Lyn de Alwis with elephant Indi, Dehivela Gardens, 1984.

GAJAH 53 (2021) 56-59
As the 2nd Chairman (1985–1997) of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialists Group (AsESG),
Lyn reached out to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma at the time) and China, which
were all countries that were closed to foreigners.
Ravi Corea, Gajah 53 (2021) 56-59

1996: Colombo´s zoological gardens have been in acute decline and the government has recalled the former director from retirement to serve it as a consultant.

Lyn de Alwis is mentioned on 1 other person pagesKotuwe Punchi,

Lyn de Alwis is mentioned on 3 location pagesPinnawala elephant orphanage, Singapore Zoo, Uda Walawe Nationalpark,

Lyn de Alwis is mentioned on 1 elephant record pagesIndi,

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2025). director Lyn de Alwis in Singapore. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 23 May 2025 at https://www.elephant.se/person.php?id=648. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Selected publications

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