‘Keep away from wasp colonies’ - Wildlife Ministry

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Ministry of Wildlife and Agrarian Services has warned the Ministry of Cultural Affairs not to interfere with the wasp colonies around the Sigiriya rock fortress by attempting to remove the wasp nests in the rock.

The Wildlife and Agrarian Services Ministry’s Wildlife Conservation Department officials told the Cultural Affairs Ministry’s Central Cultural Fund , if the latter should do anything to upset the biodiversity around the Sigirya Rock , they would institute legal action against the Cultural Fund, the Daily News reliably learns.

The Wildlife and Agrarian Ministry pointed out that it is not the business of the Cultural Affairs Ministry to control insect behaviour. Meanwhile, thousands of visitors to the Sigiriya Rock , including children and foreigners were victims of wasp attacks during the last five months. Cultural Affairs Ministry Secretary Wimal Rupasinghe said, wasp attacks have become a serious problem for the Sigiriya visitors.

Asked if they had taken any steps to control the situation, Rupasinghe said , “ We have done what we can. We made it compulsory for visitors to Sigiriya to wear protective jackets, provided by an insurance company”.

Asked if the Ministry of Wildlife and Agrarian Services has taken any steps to control the stinging behaviour of the insects, Secretary Rupasinghe said: “We are not in a position to control their behaviour.

We have been told that we cannot do anything to control the insects by way of removing their nests in the rock or by using insecticide, by the Wildlife Conservation Department. “They said if we do so they will take legal action against us ( the Cultural Affairs Ministry ) for carrying out a task that should have been carried out by the Wildlife Department. “However , the Wildlife Department has not taken any steps so far to control wasp attacks despite our repeated requests,” he added.