Village-based tourism can help protect wild elephants: AWC

15 July 2025 09:52 pm Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 6 Bookmark

CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA Follow

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Colombo, July 15 (Daily Mirror) - Promoting tourism in rural areas while providing facilities to local communities could play a key role in protecting Sri Lanka’s wild elephants, the Animal Welfare Coalition (AWC) claimed.

AWC Executive Committee Member, Dr. Chamith Nanayakkara, told the Daily Mirror that Sri Lankan elephants remain a major attraction for international tourists, and called for immediate government action to promote village-based tourism as a solution to the escalating human-elephant conflict.

“If rural communities receive sufficient support and infrastructure, they may be more inclined to coexist with elephants and even bring them into villages for tourism-related activities,” Dr. Nanayakkara said.

Commenting on the recent death of Bhathiya, a majestic and iconic elephant, he noted that veterinarians attached to the Department of Wildlife Conservation are well-equipped and experienced, often more so than other ministry-appointed doctors.

Dr. Nanayakkara also urged the government to make urgent decisions regarding the opening and protection of elephant corridors, allowing wild elephants to roam freely in their natural habitats.

Comments - 6

DD Tuesday, 15 July 2025 10:23 PM

Great idea--just like the turtle hatcheries down south! Before, people used to take the eggs… now they protect them and send the baby turtles back to the sea with a little goodbye wave. Same can work for elephants---help the villages earn from them, not fear them. Let’s roll this out fast before more gentle giants like Bhathiya are lost.

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Weary Tuesday, 15 July 2025 11:33 PM

No end of NGO's making reports and comments, money spent by the yappers could be better utilised protecting wild life and supporting the wild life officers in the field.

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Sam Wednesday, 16 July 2025 12:03 AM

Seems NPP Govt is not giving enough attention to the danger faced by animals specially elephants.

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Jude Wednesday, 16 July 2025 08:38 AM

That's the dumbest idea I ever heard!!!

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Jayaseeli Christiansen Wednesday, 16 July 2025 11:22 AM

Western countries knows the value of the elephants, but sadly not Sri Lankans since they have them. Sri Lankans do not know how much they should be proud of having the largest animals on the planet in the wild! Western countries do not have them in the wild so they treasure them and pay money to travel to Sri Lanka to see them! Govt. do something, this is far too much of killing innocent elephants in 100s a year! Legal penalties are not enough, it must go with a prison term for offenders, then only human may understand a bit! This was going on for years in Sri Lanka but no Govt. took a real action to STOP this tragedy!

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Patriot Thursday, 17 July 2025 09:50 PM

Leave the wild elephants where it belong to mindset of tourists cannot be determined by foolish ideas and suggestions on social media. Specially foreign tourists safety

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