The Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation claimed that they have studied various methods to minimise the human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka yet certain techniques have failed.
Therefore, the Ministry is to implement different and developed techniques to minimise the HEC whereby elephants will be restricted from accessing human occupied areas.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (6), the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Chandana Sooriyabandara and the Ministry Media Spokesman Prasanna Adikari said that the Ministry is to implement a national policy and programme regarding the resolution of the HEC, on the initiation of subject Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, and that the Ministry is to appoint a committee regarding the same.
“However, according to some research, we have studied that the sound of Sri Lankan bees is not sufficient enough to deter elephants from accessing human-occupied areas while the sound of African bees is very efficient for this purpose. Therefore, the Ministry is to implement different and improved techniques to prevent elephants from accessing human-occupied areas,” Adikari emphasised.
Accordingly, Wanniarachchi has stated elsewhere that: “The national policy and programme regarding the resolution of the HEC, which is prepared under the initiative of the Ministry and with the intervention of all the other related institutions, should be debated in the Parliament, and that a proper arrangement should be made regarding the necessary measures by referring to the Sectoral Oversight Committees.” Minister Wanniarachchi pointed out that in the current situation, the HEC has become a major problem in the country, and that no matter how much money is spent, efforts should be made to find a permanent solution. She emphasised that policies and programmes should be formulated with short, medium and long-term solutions regarding this problem. The Minister said that elephants are suffering as well as the people of Sri Lanka due to this problem, and that a major plan for the conservation of wild elephants should be prepared as soon as possible.