Quick Look

Two more electric fences to ward off jumbos

Priyanka Kurugala

The Wildlife Department will erect two electric fences in the upper areas of Lunugamvehera and Udawalawa to combat the growing human - elephant conflict in the Uva province, Wildlife Director General H D Rathnayake said.

The length of each fence will be 40 kilometres, he said. Plans are underway to build the fences within two weeks, Rathnayake said.

“This will help reduce the human - elephant conflict by 90 percent,” the Director General said.

Common Differences screening on March 21

Common Differences will be screened at 25/1, Centre Road, Battaramulla on March 21 at 6 pm. It will be hosted by former Sri Lankan ambassador to the UN in Geneva Tamara Kunanayagam and followed by a discussion chaired by South African ambassador Geoff Doidge.

Common Differences is a documentary film that as Parliamentarian Eran Wickremaratne advocates in the moving opening sequence, attempts to provide a balanced insight to the Sri Lanka ethnic conflict. It explores the reasons for and the development of conflict in Sri Lanka through interviews with a wide range of stakeholders. The film also opens up the question as to where and how Sri Lanka should proceed.

Given the emotions involved, the production team of Suren de Silva and Daniel Ridicki refrains from commentary, instead simply using interviews by Sri Lanka political, academic, media and NGO stakeholders. These include the Bishop of Mannar, the Secretary of Defence, journalists Iqbal Athas and C A Chandraprema, NGO activist Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, academics Dayan Athukoralage, Imran Furkan and Stanley Samarasinghe and politicians Vinatagamoorthy Muralitharan and Eran Wickramaratne.

The telling of the story also leads to constructive propositions for nation building. A sequel entitled Healing the Wounds is now in pre-production phase. The screening will be followed by a discussion of the issues with Jeevan Thiagarajah, Javid Yusuf, Jehan Perera and Prof Rajiva Wijesinha who were also interviewed. They will answer questions and provide clarifications as possible. Contact 011-2559191 during working hours to confirm participation or email [email protected].

Centre Road is the second turn to the left off the road that runs behind the Parliament vehicle park. This road is parallel to the road leading from the Parliament entrance to Battaramulla

Sri Lankan Frogmouth spotted in India

Sri Lankan Frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger), a bird species found in the Western Ghats region of southwest India and Sri Lanka has been spotted on the banks of the Bharatapuzha in India.

It is for the first time that the presence of the bird was reported from Malabar. Sri Lankan Frogmouths, birds of dense tropical forest, are rarely seen in low altitude regions.

The presence of the bird was confirmed in a study conducted in the region by a group of researchers comprising Dr Zubair Medammal, assistant professor zoology department , Calicut University, A David Raveendran, head of the department of Biology, Gandhigram Rural University, Tamil Nadu, Miriam M Abraham, conservation officer of Bombay Natural History society and Haris Parengal , research student of Gandhigram University.

The Sri Lankan Frogmouth is a small frogmouth usually found in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka. They are nocturnal and like all frogmouths, this 23 centimetre long species has a wide and hooked bill with slit-like nostrils and the large head has the eyes facing forward to provide a wide field of binocular vision.

The study of the research group was conducted in the 99 acre campus of the Kelappaji college of Agriculture Engineering and Technology in Tavanur, on the banks of Nila river.

Zubair Medammal said the study team has conducted bird survey in the region for a year which revealed a total of 94 species in the area. “The first time record of restricted range of Ceylon Frogmouth family was the highlight of this study. This bird has so far been sighted only from the continuous ranges of western Ghats and Sri Lanka with an exception of the recent finding from Iringole Sacred Grove in Perumbavoor,” he said.

He said the present finding is interesting as it is on a river bank and very close to the coastal area that is far away from the Western Ghats mountain ranges.

Courtesy : The Times of India

Stage drama

The stage drama Rukada Rajje will be staged at the Sripali Hall, Horana on March 17 at 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm in aid of Sumithuro welfare society of Paragastota.

Vijaya, Rodni, Priyantha, Sarath, Gamini, Richard, Ferni, Indika, Kumara and Tharanga will be performing.

Daily Island Editor Prabath's father expires

Thilakasena Sahadandu (formerly of Govt. Health Service), father of the Daily Island Editor Prabath Sahabandu passed away yesterday. His remains lie at No 131, Hapugala, Galle (on Wakwella Road app. 4 km from Galle town). Cortege leaves residence at 4.pm for burial at Dadalla cemetery on March 14 (Thursday).Mr. Sahabnadu leaves behind wife Karuna, and four children.

New VC for Ruhuna

Bandula Gunasekara in Matara

New Vice Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna, Senior Professor Gamini Senanayake assumed duties on Monday at the Vice Chancellor's office, University of Ruhuna, Wellamadama, Matara. He is the sixth Vice Chancellor of the University.

Rat fever on the rise

A W Gunawardhana - Matara Central Corr

Four deaths following Leptospiroris (rat fever) have been reported from Matara while several patients are receiving treatment at the Matara General Hospital.