The severe economic crisis in Sri Lanka has furthered the human-elephant conflict (HEC) with the government struggling to find funds to ward off elephants venturing into human settlements closer to forest areas.
In Sri Lanka-a nation known for its Elephant tourism- 375 elephants have died last year due to EHC and that number has steadily increased in recent years. In 2020 Sri Lanka recorded the highest number of elephant deaths globally due to their shrinking forest land and crossing over to human habitats apart from natural deaths.
Reports have now emerged the government immediately needs 2800 million LKR ($8 million) to restrain the elephants within the forest area and potentially venturing into human settlements and adjoining agriculture fields.
Repellents called crackers to threaten the elephants and chase them from entering the villages and agriculture fields are sourced from local manufacturers.
According to the wildlife department, the above amount is needed to acquire 1.4 million elephant repellents (crackers). Minister for Agriculture, Wildlife, and Forest Resources Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera told this to officials during a discussion in his ministry recently. “Vast tracts of forest lands where elephants used to roam about freely have been converted into human settlement villages and they come in search of food and drinking water close to the forest areas and the conflict happens,” the minister said.
Though the minister assured “steps are being taken to look into a permanent solution which will prevent further deaths of humans and elephants in this longstanding conflict” conservationists say Sri Lanka neither has the will nor the infrastructure to find a lasting solution to the decades-old HEC problem.
The Wildlife and nature protection society of Sri Lanka (WNPSSL)-a 128-year-old association has expressed deep concern over the HEC and the number of elephant deaths leading to an irreversible biodiversity crisis. Noted wildlife expert and consultant to the Sri Lanka country office of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (ICUN) Dr Sriyanie Miththapala says elephant conservation in the country is very poor.
“I found three management plans written for the conservation of elephants in Sri Lanka. I shall not write about their content (which, over three successive decades, was very much the same) nor how much of these plans have been implemented (on a scale of 1 to 10, possibly 0), she wrote in an article on the wnpssl.org website.
Experts continuously point out that the Elephant conservation plans in Sri Lanka are fully riddled with flaws. A fundamental issue is officials are unable to reach the spot when elephants come into human habitat to chase them away.
Even though villagers inform the Wildlife officials of elephants entering human settlements, they say their staff are unable to reach the spot on time due to fuel crises and practical difficulties.
Recently Minister for mass media Dr Bandula Gunawardane said, “We are even unable to generate revenue to pay salary to the government servants and also unable to print currency notes due to the loan recovery reforms plans carried forward as suggested by the IMF”
Amidst such a crisis with ever-increasing cost of raw materials, wildlife officials say they need to spend much more on procuring repellents (crackers) to chase away the elephants.
Sri Lankan government accepts at present HEC happens in 19 out of the 25 administrative districts. According to government statistics HEC has been recorded at 133 places in these 19 districts in the last year.
The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has ordered a special audit in the HEC by a well-known elephant expert and head of the Centre for Conservation and Research Dr Prithviraj Fernando.
Sri Lanka records the maximum number of human deaths due to HEC after India globally. An average of 85 humans die in Sri Lanka due to the Human-Elephant conflict. The number rose to 113 in 2020 while 327 tuskers died in the conflict.
The last elephant census in Sri Lanka was conducted in 2011 and all data and statistics are based on that census. Accordingly, Sri Lanka has close to 6000 elephants among which 55 are very aged. The island nation loses around 300 elephants annually due to HEC.
WNPSSL in its special article on World Elephant Day this year expressed deep concern and disappointment over the status of elephants in the country billed as the ‘Miracle of Asia’.
“Current scientific data shows that elephant habitat in Sri Lanka has reduced by 15% over the last 50 years. It is an equally well-known scientific fact that when the habitat of a species is reduced, the species population declines. If the figures for elephant mortalities, from 2010 to 2021, are considered, then this is happening right now. 3,328 elephant deaths were recorded during this time. Whether there are 6,000 wild elephants in Sri Lanka today, as per a 2011 survey, or twice that number, at this rate of attrition, the continued existence of a viable breeding population is threatened. Add to this that current scientific research shows that there is a high mortality rate amongst calves, the forecast is bleak”.
In a study undertaken at the Yala National Park by the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR), it was found that 54% of all elephant calves died within two years of birth. The main reason – malnutrition.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme in their report have pointed out to widespread malnutrition among Sri Lankans in particular children in the North and East and estate workers. The government reeling under a severe economic crisis is finding it extremely difficult to import food due to the decision of the ousted war crimes accused president Gotabaya Rajapaksha and lack of foreign exchange. So, finding enough nutrition for the elephant calves to ensure their survival will be a difficult task for the Ranil Wickremesinghe government wildlife experts have warned.
While Sri Lanka is struggling to revive its tourism industry, with continuing deaths of elephants and wildlife protection under threat, the vital inflow of dollars through tourists is likely to take a severe beating.
The killing of wild elephants in Sri Lanka is prohibited by law and is a criminal offence. But like human rights violations, animal rights have also gone up for a toss.
