Live and let live with elephants is the next wild idea

Human needs and those of wild elephants will be considered in a plan involving all those with responsibility for minimising loss of life and damage to farmland and personal property.

Wildlife and Forest Conservation Ministry Secretary R.M.C.M Herath said all stakeholders need to work together.

There are plans to increase the awareness of co-existence with elephants and on how to avoid attacks.

So far, 320 elephants and 104 people have been killed.

Stakeholders such as district and divisional secretaries, farmers, and civil defence officers need to collectively try to find solutions.

Several barriers are to be erected between human habitations and areas where wild elephants roam.

“We have planned to identify areas and build electric fences, bio fences as well as dig trenches according to the landscape,’’ she said.

Ms Herath said at least two barriers would be erected.

However, environmentalist Supun Lahiru Prakash said that though a national action plan was created to mitigate the human elephant conflict two years back, it was not implemented.

He welcomed the move to involve all stakeholders, but noted he had seen all this before.

“Whenever constructive steps are taken such as piloting the action plan in Kurunegala and Anuradhapura districts, the authorities try to promote other ideas such as maintaining elephant corridors,” he said.

Mr Prakash said that the measures taken by authorities are human centric and focus only on reducing damage to humans.

“Elephant drives, trapping elephants in parks by using electric fencing, capturing and releasing elephants into holding grounds, are decisions taken from the view of humans. So, the issue is not properly addressed as elephants’ requirements are neglected,’’ he said.