Sri Lanka President prioritizes wild elephant protection and rural community safety

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held a discussion yesterday afternoon (July 24) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo with relevant ministers and officials regarding the protection of wild elephants and the safeguarding of rural communities’ daily lives.

During the meeting, the President inquired into the current situation concerning the increasing number of incidents involving harassment by wild elephants and their disruptive impact on rural populations.

Officials briefed the President on the prevailing situation and the longstanding challenges faced by relevant institutions in effectively addressing the issue.

President Dissanayake emphasized that, under no circumstances, should wild elephants be subjected to harm or harassment. He stressed the importance of identifying short-, medium-, and long-term solutions. The President directed officials to conduct in-depth assessments at the village level and noted that effective solutions must be implemented with the support of both political leadership and the public.

The President instructed the relevant ministers and officials to immediately assign 5,000 members of the Civil Security Force to assist in addressing the current shortage of human resources.

He further directed that the number of vehicles allocated to officers of the Department of Wildlife be increased, noting that the current shortage hinders their duties. Accordingly, immediate steps are to be taken to procure cabs and motorcycles for this purpose.

In addition, the President called for the prompt preparation and submission of the necessary plans for the proposed 800 kilometres of electric fencing and the restoration of 16 elephant corridors, aimed at preventing wild elephants from encroaching into villages.

President Dissanayake also called for an immediate resolution to communication gaps within the Department of Wildlife Conservation and emphasized the need to establish a streamlined system for public access to information and assistance.

Among those present were Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala, Minister of Environment Dhammika Patabendi, Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment K.R. Uduwawala, Acting Inspector General of Police Priyantha Weerasuriya, Director General of the Department of Civil Security Major General Palitha Fernando, Director General of the Department of Wildlife M.S.L.R.P. Marasinghe, Deputy Director (Elephant Conservation) V.L. Thaufeen, DIG of the Environmental Division Bimshani Jasin Arachchi, Conservator General of Forests S.C. Palamakumbura, as well as representatives from the security forces and the Department of Forest Conservation.