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Photo focus: Path to destruction
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Story and pix by Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi
With more development activities due to take place in the Hambantota district, the space for elephants that once roamed the area is shrinking.
As a result, the human-elephant conflict has been exacerbated. In the most recent incident, one person was killed in Wewagama, Sooriyawewa this week. The hunt for the elephant known as ‘Minimaru Aliya’ is in progress.
At least three others have been killed by elephants during the year.
In addition to development activities, illegal encroachment by settlers is driving elephants out of their habitat into other areas. Close to Wewegama, a 12-acre Mahweli land earmarked for an elephant conservation area was razed recently.
These are all signs that the district which had an abundance of elephants will see a drastic reduction in their numbers eventually.
Elephants crossing: A herd of elephants continue on their way across a road in Hambantota
A baby elephant trapped in a man-made pit
A wildlife official stares at a dead elephant calf
Razed to the ground
A dead pangolin
Land laid bare