Wild elephant population rising
Chamikara WEERASINGHE
Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population has shown a marked increase over
the last 10 years.
Environment and Natural Resources Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka
said that there were 1,099 elephants in the North Western Province in
1993 and the number has increased to twice as many in 2004.
The minister said, “there are 450 elephants in Udawalawe National
Park and there are an estimated 1,500 elephants living outside the
Wilpattu National Park as result of terrorist activities that take place
in the Park,” he said.
Minister said that steps would be taken to put up Elephant Transit
Homes (Ath Asaru Sevana) near Yaan Oya and Thabbowa forest.
The present Elephant Transit Home at Udawalawe will be made an
Elephant Conservation Zone, he said. Commenting on the elephant
mortality rate in Sri Lanka, Ranawaka said there were 189 elephant
deaths in 2007, of them 110 were caused by humans.
Fifty four elephants had reportedly died up to May this year. The
highest number of elephant deaths have been reported from the North
Central Province, he said. |