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Turning a new leaf in wildlife protection

26 Oct 2022

The authorities have taken stern action against the group of visitors that drove multiple vehicles in the Yala National Park in a reckless manner, which attracted public attention after a video was shared on social media platforms of the incident. It is reported that the Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Ministry has suspended the services of the park officials and seven safari tour guides who had accompanied the group of travellers over their failure to control the situation, while the Department of Wildlife Conservation has blacklisted the travellers in question and their vehicles from entering national parks in Sri Lanka for three years. In addition, probes have been launched to further look into the incident. Considering the popular opinion that wildlife officers usually employ a rather lenient approach when dealing with wrongdoers, it is refreshing to see authorities taking stringent action at the outset of the probes, based on the available evidence for the time being. However, it should not be just a punishment. If the authorities handle this case properly, it could also serve as a deterrent that would discourage people from acting irresponsibly within national parks.  It should also be considered that this is not just a matter of acting responsibly. This is also a matter of how sensitive ordinary citizens are towards national assets, especially those that concern the habitats of wild animals, which is perhaps the most important aspect of this discussion. If people are not sensitive enough to behave within a national park that has been allocated for the safety of wild animals, it poses a serious question as to whether the concept of national parks is inadequate to save wild animals from humans’ behaviour. Therefore, while formal probes are being conducted against the visitors in question, the authorities must also pay attention to raising awareness among the people about their role as citizens in protecting national assets and wild animals. At the same time, this incident raises a question about the mechanisms in place to monitor what happens within the park. The incident, which took place in broad daylight in an open area of the park, attracted attention after a video of the incident went viral on social media platforms. Even though stern action has been taken against the visitors in question, there is a question that the authorities must answer – would this incident have failed to receive the due attention of the authorities had it not been videoed and shared on social media platforms? If there was a monitoring mechanism in place that failed to notice such acts, the rectification of any flaws in the said mechanism is another matter that needs to be considered in light of this incident. In any case, this is a reminder that security or monitoring mechanisms functional within the park, even if it is mere patrols by wildlife officers, should be further strengthened and streamlined to an extent where they are strong enough to monitor visitors. This is not just a matter of unruly and irresponsible visitors; this is a matter about the overall protection of an important national asset. Ordinary citizens should not have to do the job of the authorities. If handled judiciously, this incident could be the starting point of improving protective and monitoring mechanisms concerning Sri Lanka’s national assets, and guiding ordinary citizens to take their role in protecting such assets seriously.  


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