High human and elephant densities leave little room to resolve conflict - Environment Minister

• Illegally occupied elephant corridors to be retrieved
• Sri Lanka is the country with the highest density of Asian elephant population in the world. These two factors form the basis of the crisis 
• Politically influential people have put up high voltage electricity fences to protect their croplands cultivated on a commercial scale. The highest number of elephant deaths was reported in 2023
• We suspect an organized attempt to harm elephants in the wild... This campaign involved commercial interests too, according to our observations
• If we are serious about mitigating the human-elephant conflict, we must now work towards retrieving and restoring these elephant corridors

Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi, in an interview with Daily Mirror, speaks about challenges in the mitigation of human-elephant conflict. According to him, Sri Lanka is densely populated both with humans and elephants making matters worse for the wildlife conservation authorities in dealing with the problem. Excerpts:  

QWe find a lot of elephants getting killed these days. Why has it been so difficult to contain the human-elephant conflict?
Sri Lanka is one of the densely populated countries in the region. Likewise, Sri Lanka is the country with the highest density of Asian elephant population in the world. These two factors forms the basis of the crisis. Besides, the successive governments in the past had prioritized commercial interests over conservation of elephants.   
Natural habitats of wild elephants had been cleared for economic activities by elements clothed with political authority. The elephant habitats have shrunk in size, denying them sustenance as a result. Now, elephants roam into human habitats in search of fodder.  
As for elephant deaths, electrocution is one of the reasons. Politically influential people have put up high voltage electricity fences to protect their croplands cultivated on a commercial scale. The highest number of elephant deaths was reported in 2023.   
Over 480 elephants had perished during that year. The number dropped by 100 in 2024, though. Once, we formed our administration in September, 2024, we took steps to reduce elephant deaths.   
In the recent past, we witnessed two waves of elephant deaths- one during the budgetary debate of the Environment Ministry and the other during July, this year. We suspect an organized attempt to harm elephants in the wild.   
QOn what basis do you suspect such an organized attempt?
On both these occasions, elephants had been shot below the knees. Wounded elephants, moving with difficulty, had been videoed and released on social media platforms including YouTube. Instead of filming these suffering elephants, these individuals should have engaged the relevant authorities to treat them. Without doing so, they were keen to see these video footages doing the rounds on social media.   
It remained an organized propaganda campaign. We observed politically motivated individuals behind it. This campaign involved commercial interests too, according to our observations. We have sought a CID (Criminal Investigation Department) investigation into it. Some of the elephant deaths reported on social media in recent times had actually occurred way before. It also gave rise to our suspicion of an organized move in exaggerating elephant deaths.  
When Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised a question in Parliament under Standing Order 27 (II), there were a few elephant deaths reported on social media the same day. Yet, all of them had happened some time back. The wildlife conservation authorities had even sought permission from the Magistrate to conduct a post mortem into one of them in February, this year.  
QWhat have you found through CID investigations into such attempts?
Investigations have begun now. We have increased vigilance. We have a special programme in place for the safety of tusker Kavantissa. We held talks with the Director General of Wildlife Conservation. The programme has been evolved with the involvement of all concerned. We remain alert to the tusker’s movement. We have installed electronic collars on two other elephants moving along with Kavantissa.  
Tuskers make up only about 5–6 percent of the total elephant population. Unlike their African counterparts, female Asian elephants do not grow tusks. Yet, they still carry the genetic traits responsible for tusk development, which can be passed on to their male offspring. This means that even if the current population of tuskers were to decline drastically, it would be wrong to assume that no new tuskers will ever be born. The genetic potential remains within the broader elephant population, ensuring the possibility of future tuskers.  
QIt has been a long time since the last census was conducted. Yet, its results have not been released. Why is this inordinate delay?
According to the elephant census done in 2011, around 5,100 elephants were found in the wild. The results of the latest census are expected to be published as a scientific paper. We are making arrangements for it.  
QDensity of both human and elephant populations is high in Sri Lanka. At the same time, vast extents of land are under agriculture. In such a context, how can this conflict between humans and elephants realistically be managed?
It is a difficult task. There is a programme worked out in 2020. Still, we have challenges in the implementation of this programme for the management of human-elephant conflict. It is an all-encompassing programme.   
Still, we have to strengthen the Department of Wildlife Conservation with physical and human resources. We did not have sufficient manpower to maintain electricity fences with over 5000 kilometres in extent. We have now recruited people for it.  
During our public consultations, it became clear that wildlife officers continue to discharge their duties under extremely difficult conditions. They lack adequate vehicles, receive insufficient incentives, and face challenges that extend beyond the capacity of the Wildlife Conservation Department alone.  
That is why we are working towards a long-term solution. Strengthening institutions is the first step, and we have already begun this process. As an initial measure, a multi-task force has been recruited, while steps are underway to fill the numerous vacancies within the Department. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has agreed to treat this matter as a priority.  
In the meantime, we have also moved to address immediate needs through emergency procurement. We have requested approval for 16 double-cabs, 84 single cabs, 181 motor cycles, nine crew cabs, three hand tractors, and other essential equipment. In addition, approval has been sought from the Finance Ministry to increase allowances for wildlife officers, in recognition of the critical services they provide.  
QWhat is your assessment of the economic cost of the human-elephant conflict?
At present, there is no definite assessment available. The issue must be analyzed from multiple perspectives — particularly tourism, as well as the damage caused to human lives and crops. Unfortunately, no central authority has yet carried out a comprehensive evaluation in this regard.  
QWhat are the plans for the management of wildlife in keeping with the latest census?
The Fauna and Flora Act has to be amended, and we intend to move in that direction. At the same time, we are hamstrung with physical and human resources for wildlife conservation, feasible within the ambit of the current law. As for treatment of injured wild elephants, we have only 12 veterinary surgeons. Of them, only one is attached to the department. Others are from different services. They do not have enough facilities in the discharge of their duties. A veterinary surgeon should have a supportive staff to carry out supplementary services such as blood sample collection and analysis. A veterinary surgeon needs the service of a trained mahout for maneuvering an injured elephant. In our country, unfortunately, veterinary surgeons operate without any such supportive role. Today, they depend on volunteers.  
Still, in the recent past, a well-orchestrated social media campaign was carried out to discourage these veterinary surgeons. It was humiliating for them. They felt embarrassed in the face of such malicious campaigning. They were on the verge of quitting their jobs. We encouraged them to stay, though.   
We earnestly request social media activists not to indulge in such campaigning with a negative bearing on the conservation of wild elephants.  
We have taken various steps to mitigate the human-elephant conflict. In Sri Lanka, 19 out 25 administrative districts remain affected by the human-elephant conflict. Actually, 60 percent of elephants live in areas with human occupation. We have decided to form committees at district level to work on mitigation of the human-elephant conflict. The Department of Wildlife Conservation alone cannot address this problem. The committees we formed include all the stakeholders such as the Department of Forest Conservation, the police, the Divisional Secretariats and all.  
QWhat is the current status of elephant corridors?
When mega development projects were launched, elephant corridors were earmarked on paper. However, in practice, the lands allocated for these corridors were not left unused. This was particularly evident during the Mahaweli scheme and the Maduru Oya development project, where politicians intervened to settle people on lands originally designated as elephant passes. As a result, vital pathways for elephant movement have been obstructed. If we are serious about mitigating the human-elephant conflict, we must now work towards retrieving and restoring these elephant corridors.  
QAre you going to remove human settlements from them?
We first need to identify these corridors. Historically, there were 16 such elephant corridors in the country. Our task now is to trace them back. This year, we plan to restore four of them, and the number will gradually increase to seven in the next phase.  
QWon’t it lead to dislocation of resettled families?
We plan to do it with minimum impact on human settlements.  
QDid you look at the experience of other countries in the region facing the human elephant conflict?
We have studied that as well. We have world renowned experts in the field. We keep sharing experiences with other countries for mutual benefit. In Thailand, we found humans and elephants co-existing.  
We need some time to work out such a system in Sri Lanka. Ours is still a country coming out of bankruptcy. We want to improve the living conditions of people. Then, we can think of such an approach. Currently, people in affected areas engage in agriculture. They should shift to tourism for such an approach. Then, we should attract high -end tourists.