Animal census data only 50% accurate: Deputy Minister

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana   

The data collected in this year’s national animal census has been found to be only 50 percent accurate, Deputy Minister Namal Karunarathne informed Parliament yesterday.   

“Outcome verification revealed that the information provided by the public during the animal census is only 50 percent accurate. As a result, the committee tasked with making recommendations to mitigate crop damage caused by wild animals has determined that the survey’s reliability is at 50 percent,” the Deputy Minister said.   

Despite the limited accuracy, the survey successfully mapped areas with high animal population densities, helping to identify regions most at risk from human-wildlife conflict.   

According to the report, Sri Lanka is home to approximately 5,197,517 toque macaques, 1,747,623 other monkey species, 2,666,630 giant squirrels, and 4,285,745 peacocks.   

The census was conducted nationwide, excluding Delft Island in the Jaffna District, where none of the surveyed animal species are found.   

The total cost of the survey amounted to Rs. 3,916,314. This included Rs. 2,478,000 for printing census sheets, Rs. 65,844 for press notices, Rs. 1,200,000 for administrative expenses, Rs.18,030 for pre-census activities and Rs. 154,440 for transport.  

Minister Karunarathne emphasized that no animals would be killed as part of population control efforts. Instead, the government plans to implement non-lethal measures to manage wildlife populations and reduce their impact on agriculture.