HUMAN ELEPHANT CONFLICT
Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is a major socio-economic, conservation and political issue in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is considered to have one of the worst cases of Human Elephant Conflict situations in the world.
With the rise in the human population, increasing HEC, deforestation, habitat fragmentation & degradation, Sri Lanka’s elephant population, Elephas maximus maximus, now considered to be endangered by IUCN, are in grave danger of being wiped out completely from Sri Lanka.
70% of elephant range is in areas with resident people. Currently there are resident people in 82% of Sri Lanka’s lands, elephants are found in 62% of the land and in 44% of the land elephants and people live in the same landscape. Assuming there are around 6,000 elephants in Sri Lanka, over 4,000 elephants are likely to use areas with people. HEC is very widespread in Sri Lanka and is currently reported from 19 Districts and 131 Divisional Secretariat Divisions encompassing almost the entire dry zone of the country.
Anuradhapura District HEC situation
Whilst many people are studying elephants in Sri Lanka, we are the only group with a plan of action to find practical solutions and reduce HEC fatalities.
We have established a new organization named "Elephant Human Coexistence Foundation" to undertake this work.
Anuradhapura District is in the North Central Province, it is known as the worst region in all of Sri Lanka for elephant and human HEC deaths and our work is focused there.
Active projects are already underway and we have been welcomed with co-operation and support by local villages who now feel that their voices are finally being heard, and have joined us in the mission to find solutions.
In 2022 84 elephants and 31 humans died in Anuradhapura district.
In 2023 it was 88 elephants and 43 humans.
Sri Lanka’s elephants are in terrible trouble and we are implementing groundbreaking measures to save them
Field visit - Anuradhapura
JULY - AUGUST 2023.
RARE were contacted by former minister Duminda Dissanayake, who requested that we intervene in finding solutions to villagers and elephants battling with Human Elephant Conflict in Anuradhapura District. As a first step we organised a visit to the affected areas. Panchali Panapitiya, Dr Sumith Pilapitiya, Otara Gunewardene, VEN. Ananda Sagara Thero, Kanchana Perera Kern, attended along with RARE volunteers.
We listened to the sad stories of the villagers, and we already knew the sad stories of the elephants. We Discussed the many issues of HEC with villagers and promoted ‘The National Action Plan on HEC Mitigation’ as a solution. We were also able to discuss the importance of biodiversity and forest conservation, the effects of climate change, and the elephants role in these issues, and in Sri Lanka’s economy. We also made them aware of the effects of issuing guns to farmers.
We were able to build hope in the villagers for the National Action Plan, and they requested its immediate implementation. The Sri Lankan government has finally committed to implementing this plan. Dr Sumith Pilapitiya who attended with us is Chairman of the implementation committee
We will be supporting this in Anuradhapura along with Otara Gunewardene.
Ven Ananda Sagara Thero, Nayanaka Ranwella, Panchali Panapitiya, and other environmental activists were in atttendance.
7th AUGUST 2023.
We held a protest against the translocation of blind and old wild elephant Chandi from his home range.
DWC directorof Health Dr Tharaka Prasad met with our protestors, and agreed to halt the translocation temporarily. He further confirmed that DWC will perform a field visit with environmentalists before taking any further action.
