The Ministry of Environment, Wildlife, Forest Resources, Water Supply, Plantation, and Community Infrastructure has announced measures to address the ongoing human-elephant conflict, including reallocating unused ministry vehicles to wildlife offices for enhanced mobility and response capabilities.
This initiative was discussed at a recent meeting between Minister Vijitha Herath and ministry officials. During the discussions, a critical issue identified was the lack of wired telephone connections in some regional offices of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, which hinders efficient communication with local villages. To resolve this, the Ministry plans to collaborate with a private telecommunications company to bridge these communication gaps.
Further measures include preventing wild elephants from entering villages, streamlining the distribution of essential equipment to high-risk areas, and reinforcing electric fence protection through full-time village security officers and wildlife personnel.
Minister Herath emphasized the importance of a long-term, comprehensive approach to implementing these decisions rather than relying on short-term fixes.
The Department of Wildlife reported a promising decrease in elephant deaths, forecasting a 50 percent reduction compared to last year. Additionally, human fatalities from wild elephant encounters have dropped by approximately 20 percent. However, the Department also noted that around 90 wild elephants lost their lives last year due to human-related causes, particularly from contact with power lines.
