Ven. Rahula Thera urges death penalty for elephant killers

Colombo, July 23 (Daily Mirror) - Amid the alarming rise in elephant deaths due to the escalating human-elephant conflict, the founder of the National Namal Uyana, Ven. Wanawasi Rahula Thera, has called for urgent amendments to the country’s Wildlife Ordinance, including the introduction of harsher penalties, even the death penalty, for those found guilty of killing elephants.

Addressing a media briefing, Ven. Rahula Thera strongly criticised both past and present governments for their failure to safeguard the country's elephant population and mitigate the ongoing conflict.

“The previous governments failed to protect the elephants and the current government has no concrete plans either. This government won’t be able to implement even a minimal strategy to reduce the human-elephant conflict,” he said.

“Minister Lal Kantha said in Parliament that he will do anything to any animal that enters his farmland even kill it. That is a naive and irresponsible statement, especially from someone holding such a key portfolio. I urge him not to make such foolish comments,” the Thera said.

He added that successive governments have been informed repeatedly about the urgency of addressing the human-elephant conflict, but no practical or lasting solutions have been implemented to date.

“Elephants are a source of foreign income and should be considered a national treasure. The current Wildlife Ordinance was enacted during colonial times. I urge His Excellency the President and the government to reform these outdated laws and introduce new legislation fit for today and the future,” he said.

Ven. Rahula Thera also pointed out that the threats to elephants are not limited to shootings or electric fences but include collisions with trains, which have become increasingly frequent.

He said that there is need for a comprehensive national programme to protect elephants and resolve the conflict, warning that the situation continues to deteriorate daily.