Hadapanagala corridor cleared for elephants

Colombo, June 15 (Daily Mirror) - The government has cleared the Hadapanagala elephant corridor as part of a national programme aimed at providing a sustainable solution to Sri Lanka's long-standing human-elephant conflict.

The initiative, carried out on June 5, forms part of a broader effort to restore several major elephant corridors across the country, enabling wild elephants to move freely between habitats in search of food and water.

Authorities said the traditional Hadapanagala elephant migratory route had been largely obstructed for years due to unplanned development projects, unauthorized human settlements and land distributions. The blockage restricted elephant movement and contributed to an increase in human-elephant encounters as animals entered nearby villages in search of resources.

The reopening of the corridor is a key component of the government's three-tier human-elephant conflict management strategy, which includes short-, medium- and long-term measures aimed at reducing conflict and promoting coexistence.

Officials said that restoring elephant corridors is expected to help minimise human-elephant clashes by allowing elephants to follow their natural migratory routes. The government is also planning to introduce additional measures in the coming months to further strengthen human-elephant coexistence across the country.