The Hon. Anton Jayakody

¶ 01 Hon. Member, we cannot reduce human-elephant conflict to zero, but we are taking maximum measures to minimize it. It cannot be handled by the Wildlife Department alone; it requires multisectoral cooperation. During our visit, we discussed with the District Secretary and a large number of officials. Under Wildlife Department supervision, we will mobilize multipurpose workers, village-level officers, and farmer organizations, and utilize existing local committees working on HEC mitigation. We also plan to engage officers of the Civil Security Department to support these efforts.

¶ 02 Fences are only one solution—a physical and mental barrier for elephants—but they are not sufficient alone. In Hambantota, Puttalam, and elsewhere, invasive plant species have spread widely in wildlife habitats. Especially in your district, Indian myrrh (kalupuhandara) and cactus have proliferated. We are taking steps to remove invasives and provide adequate food and water within protected and managed areas, thereby limiting elephant ranging. An adult elephant needs roughly 150 kg of fodder and about 25 litres of water per day; if these needs can be met within 2–3 km, ranging reduces from 25–40 km, and crop-raiding declines.

¶ 03 Thus, our immediate priorities are: completing and maintaining fencing, strengthening night patrols, augmenting staff (including regularizing multipurpose workers and recruiting more officers), and arranging vehicles for patrols by reallocating underutilized government vehicles. We already conduct night patrols with borrowed vehicles from District and Divisional Secretariats and some local authorities. We will intensify work with communities and the Civil Security Department to reduce human and elephant deaths and property damage.