Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Patali Champika Ranawaka said that initial studies indicate that there has been an increase in the elephant population in Sri Lanka over the last decade and announced that a new census of elephants will be carried out in August this year.
According to the census taken on elephants in 1993, it was recorded that there were 1099 elephants in the North Western Province. This number is said to have doubled since.
At present there are about 450 elephants in the Uda-Walawe Sanctuary. Around 1500 elephants are said to be out of the Wilpattu Sanctury due to terrorist activities.
It is reported that 57% of annual elephant deaths is caused by the human-elephant conflict; 110 of the 189 elephants death recorded in 2007 falling into this category.
Fifty four elephant deaths have been recorded this year until May and the highest incidence of death has been indicated in the North -Western Province.
The issue of elephant deaths is to be considered when implementing the "Gama Neguma" program this year in North Western Province and in this regard plans are underfoot to erect electric fences and to move boisterous male elephants to the proposed Thabbowa Sanctuary.
Accordingly, steps have been taken to establish two wild sanctuaries at Yan-oya and Thabbowa.
Uda Walawe, meanwhile, is to be upgraded into a centre for rehabilitating displaced elephants, ministry sources said.
(Courtesy : Department of Information )