Elephant deaths gone up after Ditwah Cyclone: Minister

Ditwah Cyclone destroyed elephant habitats, resulting in changes in their movements and increasing human-elephant conflicts 

By Ajith Siriwardana 

The elephant deaths due to human-elephant conflicts have increased after the Ditwah Cyclone as most of the habitats of the elephants have been destroyed, resulting in change of their movement, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi said yesterday. 

He told a news conference at the Government Information Department that the Ditwah Cyclone destroyed habitats where elephants lived, which changed their daily routines and movement.  “The change of their movement has resulted in escalation of human-elephant conflicts and elephant deaths,” he said.  The Minister also said some 840 km of electric fences were destroyed due to the Ditwah Cyclone, especially in Mahiyangana, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Kurunegala and Puttalam Districts. 

He said the ministry gave priority to restoring the fences, considering the escalation of human elephant conflicts.  The Minister said 50 per cent of the damaged electric fences have already been restored.