Wild Elephants are spread in an area of 62% of SL

Wild elephants are spread in an area of 62% of the country’s land, the National Action Plan for Reducing Human-Elephant Conflicts that was presented to the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, revealed.   

Accordingly, it was pointed out that the construction of electric fences as community-led rural electric fence and temporary electric fence to protect paddy fields as the most appropriate solution in preparing the national action plan to reduce human-elephant conflicts.  

The Committee Chair pointed out that before the construction of these elephant fences, awareness programmes should be implemented for people in the respective areas about the behaviour of elephants and the changes that should be made in the behaviour of people.  

Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, Chair of the committee appointed to facilitate and supervise the implementation of the National Action Plan to reduce human-elephant conflicts, and wildlife scientist Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando presented this plan to the committee.  

It was revealed in the Committee that 433 wild elephants have died in Sri Lanka in the year 2022.   

Expressing views at the Committee, Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the Opposition, said that a National plan of utilizing lands is needed to reduce Human-Elephant conflicts.