President Pushes for Reopening of Sri Lanka's Elephant Corridors

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has emphasized the urgent need to reopen elephant corridors, which have been closed despite some claims that this is being done forcefully or against democratic principles. 

The elephant population, currently around 8,000, has shown an increase, highlighting the importance of these corridors for their movement and safety, said the President.

In addressing the broader elephant issue, President Dissanayake outlined several short-term solutions, including the implementation of electric fences, the recruitment of additional officers for the Wildlife Department, and the establishment of a joint unit between the Civil Security Department and the Wildlife Department to ensure safety. 

These measures are necessary as there are no immediate alternatives, said the President adding that according to the Wildlife Department Act (Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance), the primary responsibility of the department is the conservation of animals, not the protection of humans. Consequently, no other officers are permitted to approach wildlife without a wildlife officer present, including police officers or Civil Security personnel. Plans are in place to recruit more wildlife officers as part of the budget.

President Dissanayake also addressed the ongoing issues with Toque macaques and giant squirrels. While many proposals and experiments are being considered, a final scientific solution has yet to be determined. The Ministry of Agriculture has appointed a committee to find a scientific solution, with ideas ranging from surgery to other methods. 

However, even if surgery is performed, the current population will live for another 20 years, and a new generation may not be created. 
This problem is rooted in the collapse of the environmental chain, with foxes, which once controlled the peacock population by eating their eggs, now rarely seen. This cycle has collapsed due to unbalanced development and the lack of sustainable practices.

The President said that historically, elephants were found in the hills, but after the British cleared the Central Highlands for tea plantations, they moved to the plains in Minneriya. This shift is an abnormality in the ecosystem caused by unorganized development plans over hundreds of years.

Reconservation is a long-term plan, but short-term plans focus on conserving plants and wildlife, he added.

Note: News 1st's Chalani Ratnaweera contributed to this report.