Representatives of WNPS and Spa Ceylon discuss raising awareness on Human-Elephant conflict

In view of World Elephant Day which falls on 12 August, Spa Ceylon together with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) have organized a series of events to raise awareness on the Human-Elephant conflict and improve the resilience of affected communities in Sri Lanka. The event lineup will begin with the ‘Help Save the Majestic Ceylon Elephant Wellness Run’, at 6:00 am on 11 August from Independence Square, Colombo. Held in support of the WNPS’ conservation initiatives, this ‘City Run’ will feature a 5km run and a 2km run, where the top three runners will receive valuable gifts from Spa Ceylon and the WNPS.

Elephants, an important part of our heritage

Speaking at a recent media briefing, Spa Ceylon CO-Founder and Group Director, Shalin Balasuriya said that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephant population in Asia and that they are an important part of our heritage. “Protecting them becomes our responsibility. It should not be a goal only for wildlife conservationists but for all Sri Lankans. Spa Ceylon remains deeply committed to working on conservation efforts of the Ceylon Elephant, education on the Human-Elephant Conflict, and the best ways to move forward on both fronts”. 

Spa Ceylon has dedicated its Ceylon Elephant range, especially to this cause, where each purchase from the range contributes to efforts towards resolving the Human-Elephant Conflict, reaffirming the brand’s purpose of holistic wellness for the planet, its people, and the environment. 

 Steps to mitigate HEC 

“From its inception in 1874, the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society has recognized the importance of the wild elephant as a Keystone Species; the health of the wilderness and its other inhabitants depend on them,” said Supun Lahiru Prakash, Chair of WNPS’ Human-Elephant Coexistence Subcommittee. “If elephants become extinct, most other creatures will follow suit, and the rich biodiversity of this island nation will soon vanish. The Human-Elephant Coexistence Subcommittee is focusing on mitigation and conservation in line with the following strategies:

1. Strengthening the legislative framework on Elephant Conservation and HEC mitigation
2. Empowering inter-sector collaboration in HEC mitigation
3. Stimulating stakeholder engagement in Elephant Conservation and HEC mitigation
4. Promoting scientifically proven low-cost HEC mitigation measures
5.  Enhancing scientific understanding related to the matters of Elephant Conservation

Due to the existing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, children grow up impoverished and often lack the food, sanitation, shelter, health care, and education they need to survive and thrive. The situation of the families of HEC victims is the worst and more often school-aged children are forced to end their schooling prematurely due to economic difficulties. Therefore, we identified the urgent need to improve the resilience of such families and planned to introduce the ‘Gaja Nana Sahana’ island-wide scholarship programme apart from other commemoration activities.”

Following the wellness run, a Scholarship Program, titled ‘Gaja Nana Sahana’, will also be launched for children who have lost a parent due to Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) complications. During the last five years, a total of 689 human deaths have been recorded due to HEC, of which in 2023, 169 persons lost their lives. The main objective of the Scholarship Programme is to improve the resilience of the affected communities as most of the above HEC victims are breadwinners of their families and their untimely deaths severely affect the socioeconomic condition of the family. During the first phase of the scholarship programme, schoolchildren who lost a parent in 2023 from the HEC will be considered beneficiaries, where the monthly scholarship fee will be awarded to them till the end of their formal school education. The application process will be announced at the event and the first set of scholarships will be awarded within a month of the launch. A poster exhibition will also take place on the sidelines of the event, to showcase the different conservation issues faced by elephants and the efforts of WNPS to mitigate them.

Another exciting event lined up in view of World Elephant Day is where a decorated double-decker bus with promotional material will run across Fort and Pettah on 12th August 2024, to create awareness among the general public about the far-reaching impact of the HEC and how they can join WNPS in conserving Sri Lanka’s Elephants. The climax of this series of events will be the Nations Trust WNPS Monthly Lecture, on 15th August 2024, at the Jasmine Hall, BMICH. Titled “Co-existing with Wild Elephants - A comparison between Botswana and Sri Lanka”, it will be jointly presented by renowned conservationists and elephant researchers, Drs. Tempe Adams and Sumith Pilapitiya, to address the significant socioeconomic and conservation challenges faced in Sri Lanka due to HEC.

For two nations of contrastingly different size and population, elephants are a valuable economic, cultural and environmental asset. For their continued existence, and the benefits they give, humans must learn to live with them as neighbours.

Dr. Tempe Adams is an Australian Conservation Ecologist who has been based in northern Botswana since 2012 and has worked on elephant conservation and research throughout the savannah elephant range in Africa. She is not new to the Sri Lankan conservation community due to her previous work with the WNPS. Dr. Adams is a member of the IUCN African Elephant Specialist Group and serves on the Group Human-Elephant Conflict Task Force. She is also a member of the Botswana Human-Wildlife Conflict Working Group.

Dr. Sumith Pilapitya, a former Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, has become a champion of elephant conservation in Sri Lanka. He, too, has been a regular presenter of the Lecture Series and advises the WNPS, particularly on matters related to Human-Elephant Conflict. 

The monthly lecture of the WNPS is supported by the Nations Trust Bank. Dr. Adams’s visit is made possible with the kind support of Spa Ceylon. The lecture is open to both members and non-members, and entrance is free.

Wellness enthusiasts and interested participants can register online for the event in advance via https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfem7ZO2e9o9TiH_yY62VRuSRx4NVcOEwiIzf_Oef2alxccZQ/viewform or on the event day.