CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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Wildlife Department identifies 142 elephant crossing points near railway stations
Colombo, May 16 (Daily Mirror) - The Wildlife Conservation Department has identified 142 railway stations across the country where wild elephants are known to roam, raising concerns over the ongoing human-elephant conflict.
This information was revealed following a two-day workshop held at the Giritale National Wildlife Training and Research Center.
The programme was organised to educate train drivers and officials from the Railway Department on measures to prevent collisions between trains and wild elephants.
Experts highlighted that the primary cause of the human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka is the loss of elephant habitats due to development projects, deforestation and changing land use patterns. Each year, a significant number of elephants die from causes such as train collisions, illegal electric fences, gunshot wounds, and drowning.
Special attention was drawn to railway lines passing through wildlife habitats, including the stretch from Galoya to Minneriya, which crosses through the Kaudulla and Minneriya National Parks. Multiple elephant crossing points were also reported on the railway line from Mahaoya to Galoya.
Meanwhile, the authorities decided to conduct a detailed study on the seasonal movement patterns of elephants near these railway tracks. The workshop also explored the adoption of new technological solutions to minimise train-elephant collisions and improve safety for both wildlife and rail passengers.
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