Concerns raised over GPS technology in efforts to relocate elephants

7 January 2025 11:26 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 5 Bookmark

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By Poojathmi Rivithma

Colombo, January 7 (Daily Mirror) - The Wildlife Department's plan to use GPS technology to drive wild elephants from areas between Anuradhapura and Wilpattu has faced criticism, with experts arguing that GPS alone is insufficient to move the elephants.

However, Supun Lahiru Prakash, a representative from the Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle, speaking with the Daily Mirror, raised concerns that GPS technology alone is not effective in driving elephants away.

Accordingly, Prakash stated that GPS can help only to monitor elephant movements, but it is not sufficient to relocate or deter the animals from specific areas.

Elephant drives do not contribute to mitigating human-elephant conflict or elephant conservation, so we should avoid encouraging them through any technology.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) reported 385 human deaths last year due to wildlife-related incidents, including encounters with dangerous animals and accidents in natural habitats.

The WNPS warned that as human settlements expand into wildlife areas, such interactions are becoming more frequent and dangerous.

Comments - 5

BuffaloaCitizen Tuesday, 07 January 2025 11:41 AM

But the tender for GPS will give the local yakkos pocket money. Who cares two hoots for the elephants.

4 6

Onlooker Tuesday, 07 January 2025 11:48 AM

Is it not self evident that GPS can help only to monitor elephant movements, but it is not sufficient to relocate or deter the animals. But using that GPS tracking, Wild Life Dept can move in to relocate or deter them knowing their location. In your car GPS will only show the way, action from you is the driving to get final destination.

0 5

Umar Perera Tuesday, 07 January 2025 02:20 PM

Obviously, those using this don't understand GPS tech. More importantly, what's happened to the 150 elephants trapped in Oyamaduwa? Have they been fed? And released?

1 4

P Kunchithapathan Tuesday, 07 January 2025 04:38 PM

Better late than never. Several decades ago, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel provided in-depth coverage of India's innovative approach to wildlife conservation, highlighting the use of GPS tracking collars to safeguard key species. Regrettably, Sri Lanka's counterparts have been slow to adopt such measures, resulting in the tragic loss of thousands of elephants and leopards over the years.

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Man Wednesday, 08 January 2025 06:33 AM

Elephant movements when elephant corridors closed with farms and buildings? Hilarious! Best option is to protect hamlets with elephant resistant fences as Mr. Ranwala tells. Then the required corridors will get opened up. As about 4,000 elephants killed during the last 14 years, capturing and taming marauding wild elephants are essential and then auction. Then the need to pay compensation for the damages must be done by means of a tax, as well as such as wildlife protection tax, taken from tourists of such wildlife areas. Before that, forests encroached by farmers (with the political patronage of Chandrasena of Sarwajana Balaya, Amapara former MP betel chewing Wimalaweera Dissanayake and the like) must be released to wildlife including Walsapugala reservation and the cropped up issue of clearing Yala buffer zone, now.

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