Human-elephant conflict worsens

by S.M. Wijayaratne, Kurunegala Cor.

The elephant-human conflict has claimed 228 elephants and tuskers' and around 70 persons during this year from January to November since 2005 upto now, around 230-250 elephants and 50-70 human beings have been killed annually.

Irregular use of forest resources for development the wild elephants have been deprived of their dwelling places and elephants roam in village areas at night in search of food and water.

Farmers and villagers are forced to shoot these wild elephants as they destroy paddy and vegetable cultivations of farmers causing severe damages.

"We have to look for long-term solutions to elephant-human conflict.

If we don't succeed in finding effective and practical solutions, elephants population would disappear from the country within the next two decades", said the Divisional Secretary W.E. Jayathilake for Bingiriya at a meeting of paddy farmers of the Kurunegala District held recently at Bingiriya Agrarian centre.