Dangerous situation

Feeding elephants at the Uda Walawe electric fence:

The dangerous situation where a wild elephant at the Uda Walawe National Park was fed across the electric fence on the boundary has now escalated. Initially a lone elephant used to stand by the electric fence that runs along the Timbolketiya-Tanamalwila road and was fed by passers by. Fruits, especially banana, were purchased and fed to this elephant by those using this highway. The potential danger of this situation, where the elephant could break through the fence and cause trouble, was intimated to the Department of Wildlife Conservation by many. However no attempt has been made by them to take any action to stop this.

Now, as the second picture shows, more elephants come to the fence to be fed. In fact, on a visit there last week, I noticed four different places where there were elephants by the fence. One had six elephants, another two and one each in the other two. Each 'feeding spot' has a fruit stall opposite the fence.

During the day the electricity supply to the fence is cut off since it is powered by solar energy and the energy available is stored for use at night, when the elephant are more active. During the day the fence is not dangerous to the elephants since there is no current. Fortunately so far the elephants have not realized that the fence is not 'live' during the day. The danger would escalate when there is no one to buy the fruit from the vendors and feed it to the elephants.

The hungry elephants would still expect to be fed. This is when the elephants would approach the fence and by chance realize that there is no current flowing and would easily push through the fence and get to the fruit.

Since nothing has happened yet, the officials of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the relevant ministry have not done anything to stop this. Now that the number of elephants coming to the fence has increased there is a greater likelihood of a serious problem developing. Ultimately the innocent elephant, which was encouraged in the first instance by humans, will have to be shot. All because of the apathy of our officials.