Mullaithivu jungles turns into wildlife sanctuaries
[December 01 2010]


<p>The jungles of Mullatihivu, where the last battle against the LTTE was fought, would be declared as wildlife sanctuaries, on.

<p>Newly appointed Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife, S.M.Chandrasena said the massive forest cover of Mullathivu district would be turned into five sanctuaries.

<p>He said the government plans to upgrade the already existing sanctuaries into parks as tourists attractions.

<p>“ The North has become popular among local and foreign tourists and we plans to open some parks in Mullaithivu,” he said.

<p>The LTTE had safe hideouts using its thick forest cover to attack the military. The area has a forest cover of 40,500 hectares and consists of variety of animal species including elephants.

<p>The Director Department of Wildlife Conservation Dr. Chandrawansa Pathiraja said: “ Setting up wildlife sanctuaries in Mullaithivu would help to resolve the human-elephant conflict, which is now taking a rapid pace,”.

<p>Each month an elephant and a human died due to human-elephant conflict which has caused mainly due to shrinking land area for elephants due to human encroachments.