DWC orders voltage checks on electric fences to protect elephants
Alarmed by the high number of elephant deaths due to electrocution, the Wildlife Conservation Department (DWC) has instructed its officers to check the voltage of electric fences erected by villagers.
DWC Director General Chandana Sooriyabandara said he had instructed the officers to purchase meters to monitor the voltage on these electric fences.
For these fences, most villagers use alternating current from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) lines.
As the high voltage surges through the fence, it can kill not only elephants but also humans and other animals.
Mr. Sooriyabandara said that, in contrast, the electric fences erected by the DWC were designed to give a non-lethal electric shock to deter an elephant from entering villages.
Meanwhile, CEB spokesman and Deputy General Manager Noel Priyantha pointed out that using CEB electricity with the intention of harming an animal or a person is a criminal offence.
“The electricity provided to homes cannot be used for other purposes. Using CEB power for fences is illegal and extremely dangerous, as it can cause harm to anyone who accidentally comes into contact with the fence,” he said.
He explained that using electricity without safety measures was alone a criminal offence, and, therefore, CEB could lodge complaints with the police.
In a statement, the CEB sought the people’s support.
To reduce elephant deaths caused by electrocution, the CEB, in a statement, urged the public to contact it on its 1987 hotline and provide information about people who have illegally set up electric fences or connected fences to CEB power lines.
The CEB noted that of the 474 elephant deaths that occurred last year, about 50 died due to the CEB power supply being illegally connected to electric fences or wires stretched out in crop fields.
The DWC’s move to check the voltage on electric fences came as angry villagers at Thirappane in Anuradhapura accused the department of failing to keep a tusker away from the village.
The villagers said they were forced to take harsh measures to deter the tusker from entering the village when the DWC failed to do its duty. The DWC Director General said he had directed his officers to drive away the tusker, who was attempting to enter the village at night.
Meanwhile, the DWC said it was constantly monitoring the condition of ailing tusker Agbo, which is under treatment.