News
Efforts mount to bridge gaps on tackling elephant tragedies but ground level officers see shortcomings
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
The state stakeholders have sprung into action to find solutions to manage and mitigate the human elephant conflict starting off with a series of discussions.
However, factions of ground level officers drew attention to shortcomings and pointed out actions needed to be followed by stakeholders.
A series of meetings was scheduled between Department wildlife Conservation (DWC), civil security officers as well as the Forest Department this week, following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s directives last week. Environmental groups, conservationists as well as animal rights groups maintained pressure to take action to reduce elephant deaths and staged a protest in Colombo in front of the Presidential Secretariat this week.
The Sunday Times learns that the Wildlife Department held meetings with the Forest Department to discuss how to improve forest cover, and reduce deforestation by people.
The Director General Civil Defence Force (CDF), Major General (retired) Palitha Fernando told the Sunday Times that integration with or without firearms is being discussed. Meetings will be held with the Wildlife Departmen, the Environment Ministry and other stake holders
Major General Fernando pointed out that already there are about 3000 civil defence force officers attached to the wildlife on the task of maintaining the electric fences set up around parks and villages.
He said that apart from that there were CDF attached to wildlife teams that carry out elephant drives, surveillance as well as duties at wildlife beat offices.
Maj Gen Fernando emphasised the need for legal powers to Civil Defence Force officials to carry firearms, and the capability to arrest poachers.
“The CDF officers who are integrated are putting their lives aside to protect wildlife, so apart from allowing them to use firearms, they should get an allowance, food as well as a salary scheme,’’ he said.
He said although the CDF officers mandate differs from that of wildlife officers, they would be deployed after training and together with experienced wildlife officers.
The Sunday Times learned that since the CDF has already deployed nearly 4,000 there is only another 1,000 left for wildlife related duties.
A senior CDF official highlighted the need for newly-trained, fit and young officers as there had not been any new recruitment since 2015.
Wildlife officers in elephant affected areas said the failure to understand basic facts about elephants, their behaviour and ecology by administrative officials, ministerial staff and politicians heading ministries is the main obstacle to resolving the human elephant conflict.
Those who engage in grassroots operations in elephant affected said their experience and expertise have been overlooked by policy makers. The officials said there is pressure due to lack of staff, demands of villagers, and protecting elephants while following head office directives.
The officers pointed out that loss of habitat is the main reason that drives elephants to roam into villages and cultivated lands. People settled illegally within reserves, where elephants live and urged wildlife officers to remove the elephants.
He said elephants’ preferred habitat is savanna forests, where the elephants feed on grasses, and tree bark depending on seasonal availability. There is a lack of food in thick forests, so elephants return to savanna areas.
The officer pointed out that removing the illegal settlements is the logical solution, but is overlooked by politicians due to election agendas, while administrative officials knowingly follow politicians to either survive or gain favours.
All Island Wildlife Rangers union said that even though the integration of CDF officers was not a final solution it is a necessary substitute to manage the workforce shortage.
The president of All Island Wildlife Rangers Association Indika Peiris told the Sunday Times at the moment they favour the inclusion of CDF staff in the DWC’s workforce because there is a shortage of field officers. Vacancies should be filled.
The Director General of Wildlife Conservation, Ranjan Marasinghe told the Sunday Times that vacancies are being identified. The next move is to review the work structure and learn of the extent of work handled by a single official, and accordingly set up offices and create an estimate of required work load.
Findings of the recent elephant survey will be submitted as a research paper, he said.
| Plans and ideas in limbo A senior wildlife official who took part in many high level meetings on resolving the human elephant conflict during the past and the present lamented that action is always delayed.The official who claimed anonymity said that though new ideas, solutions as well as action plans were discussed they either remained in discussion phase or have stopped. The official reasoned that though committees are appointed, reports are made and meetings held, most remain unfinished within a government term, and get scrapped by the next government.The officer said that with the current carder of wildlife officers and assisting CDF officers, they are still only capable of elephant management activities, and had left out other conservation work as re wilding.
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| Five elephant deaths in one week in Wanathavilluwa By Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe Five elephant deaths have been recorded in the Wanathavilluwa area of Puttalam within a week, Wildlife Veterinary Surgeon, Dr Isuru Kottegoda said. He said some had died of gunshot injuries, some of trap gun injuries and others from poisoning. The wildlife veterinarian said the elephants were between the ages of 10 and 20 years. One had died while undergoing treatment. The elephant had been seen roaming near the old Eluwankulama area suffering from a trap gun injury when wildlife veterinarians intervened to treat it.  An elephant who died of trap gun injury in Wanathavilluwa in Puttalam recently and (left) the protest in Colombo. Pix by Hiran Priyankara and M.A. Pushpa Kumara Dr Kottegoda said the elephant was suffering from a trap gun injury to its left leg. The injury had penetrated the bones and the elephant had mobility issues. He pointed out that despite treatment being carried out for two days they were unable to heal the injury in the bones. Dr Kottegoda added that Sri Lanka lacks the facilities to repair broken bones of elephants. The veterinarian added that villagers set up trap guns to prevent elephants raiding crops and roaming into villages. |
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