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Elephant drive a ‘repetition of a historical mistake’, say conservationists
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
Hambantota has been one of the worst-affected areas for human–elephant conflict (HEC) in recent years and as a response, authorities have planned a major elephant drive to chase away herds from several problem zones.
According to Nihal Galappaththi, the National People’s Power (NPP) Member of Parliament for Hambantota, the operation will be conducted jointly by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), other relevant government agencies, farmer associations, and local political authorities. DWC sources say the 21-day operation will involve about 80 wildlife officers, making it one of the largest elephant drives in recent years.
However, environmentalists point out that scientific studies have already shown elephant drives to be an ineffective and even harmful solution, calling for the plan to be reassessed.
“This Hambantota elephant drive is simply a repetition of a historical mistake,” says environmentalist Supun Lahiru Prakash. He notes that elephants are to be driven into sections of the declared Hambantota Managed Elephant Range (MER), but these areas are already overburdened and degraded. With habitat fragmentation and food scarcity, the elephants confined there will face malnutrition and possibly death — outcomes documented during previous elephant drives decades ago, Prakash warns.
Hambantota is believed to host around 400 elephants. Large-scale development projects during the Rajapaksa era fragmented their habitats, pushing herds closer to human settlements. To address this, elephant biologist Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando proposed Sri Lanka’s first Managed Elephant Range (MER) of 23,000 hectares – a landscape approach that allocates areas most frequented by elephants for conservation, while other zones could be used for development.
Proposed in 2009, the MER was eventually gazetted only in 2021. Weak enforcement and continued encroachment have shrunk its effective range. “Some elephants entering villages may actually be from the MER,” says conservationist Sameera Weerathunga. “So, authorities must first understand what has driven them out of their home ranges; and as it would mainly be food shortages, forcing them back into overcrowded habitats would be equivalent to slow culling.” Mr. Weerathunga pointed out.
From the villagers’ perspective too, the situation has become unbearable as elephants now frequent areas where they were rarely seen before. “As their traditional habitats shrink, elephants are moving into unfamiliar areas, creating new hotspots of conflict. Villagers, too, are unprepared to deal with them,” Weerathunga adds, stressing that solutions must balance human safety and elephant welfare. He suggests that, with recent rains improving food availability in forests, the urgency for a drive should be reassessed, allowing time for a more science-based approach.
A study by Dr. Fernando shows that elephant drives have severe biological and ecological impacts. When herds are forced into restricted areas by drives and fencing, they lose most of their home ranges, leading to overcrowding, food and water shortages, poor health, and even death. His research evaluating large scale drives on early 2000 also reveals that females and juveniles are usually the ones driven, as adult males often evade the operations.
The trauma caused by loud explosions and human encounters can make elephants more aggressive, ultimately worsening human–elephant conflict. Moreover, Dr. Fernando’s data show that nearly 70% of Sri Lanka’s elephant range overlaps with human landscapes, which means there is no “empty” space left to relocate them.
“These scientific facts have been repeatedly presented to officials and politicians, yet they continue to repeat the same mistakes,” Prakash laments. However, Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody says the Hambantota drive is a localised activity aimed at removing elephants that have entered villages, not a blanket policy. “We understand that long-term solutions are essential,” he told the Sunday Times. “The government is undertaking habitat enrichment programmes to ensure elephants have sufficient food in the wild, reducing their need to enter human areas.”
Infamous failed elephant drive to Lunugamwehera in 2006. Image courtesy of Center for Conservation and Research.
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