Elephant home range destruction in North western wildlife region ...
About 40 acres of forest lands belonging to Devagiripura Rajamaha Viharaya is being damaged for a commercial agriculture venture in Devagiripura Grama Niladhari Division in Galgamuwa Divisional Secretariat division of Kurunegala District in the North Western Province. This forest acts as an elephant corridor to move elephants from Palukadawala to Tabbowa sanctuary along Galgamuwa - Tekkawattha forest. Other than destroying the forest a trench was constructed crossing the corridor.
Before reporting this deforestation some forests belonging to two ancient temples in Galgamuwa have been damaged for the same kind of large scale agricultural ventures and there was no legal action taken. The forest lands belonging to Nakolagane Rajamaha Viharaya and Thorawamayilawa Rajamaha Viharaya have been destroyed. The forest lands in the catchment of the Palukadawala reservoir which belong to Nakolagane Rajamaha Viharaya was a leading elephant home range in the area and forest lands around Thorawamayilawa rajamaha viharaya act as corridor of the elephants to move from Thabbowa and Galgamuwa to Inginimitiya was also destroyed. As a result of the silence of relevant authorities, the latest victim was the recently damaged elephant corridor belonging to Devagiripura Rajamaha Viharaya.
Nearly 90% of free range elephants in the Northwestern wildlife administrative region live outside the protected areas and they use this kind of forest patches for their survival and as moving paths. Therefore, it is essential to protect such forests to mitigate HEC and elephant conservation in the area. Thabbowa and Kahalla- Pallekele sanctuaries and Welpattu national park are the only 3 protected areas in this region administered by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. A lot of attempts were made to drive these elephants into above-mentioned protected areas and fences up. But up to date it is impossible. These elephants use the forested lands belonging to both government and private entities for their survival. However, encroachments by individuals and lease for the large scale businessmen of these forest lands is accelerated during reason time.
The “National Human- elephant Conflict mitigation action plan” also emphasizes the importance of protecting elephant- home range outside the protected areas for long term conservation of elephants and mitigation of HEC. However, the action plan was pigeonholed for more than a year and encroachments are going on without any hesitation. Furthermore all these deforestation are against the law of the country and violate the provisions given by the North Western Province Environmental Statute No. 12 of 1990, the National Environmental Act No. 47 of 1980, and the Antiquities Ordinance No. 09 of 1940.
If the necessary steps are not taken to protect these forests where elephants have lived for a long time they wouldn’t have any alternative other than invasion of the villages and HEC will be escalated. Without solving the problem sustainably the government plans to drive the elephants to Wilpattu National Park as discussed in the “Gama Samaga Pilisandara” in Karuwalagaswewa. If the government tries to drive the elephants in this area to the Wilpattu National Park it will again escalate the problem and affect the conservation of elephants once again.
All previous attempts to drive elephants live out of the protected areas to wildlife protected areas were completely failed. It was repeatedly practiced in the North Western wildlife administrative region, too. A number of attempts were made to drive the elephants to Thabbowa and Kahalla- Pallekele sanctuaries and Wilpattu National Park over the post decades. But still the majority of elephants in the area are living outside the protected areas. The Department of Wildlife Conservation had taken a policy decision, to discontinue large scale elephants after considering issues raised after driving more than 300 elephants from Walawa left bank area to Lunugamwehera National Park in 2006.
Researchers and also the DWC know that only the elephant herds consist of females and calves which are not problem causing. They have been chased away for long distances and many elephant calves die on the way due to lack of water and exhaustion. The herds restricted to the protected areas and fenced up also face a lot of difficulties after the drives and starve to death as the final result of the elephant drives. The elephant population living already inside the protected areas also get affected as they have to compete with new comers for food. Therefore, it is adversely affected in elephant conservation in Sri Lanka. The problem-causing adult males are difficult to drive away and they escape when the drives take place. Just after the drive they return to the same locations and continue the damages to lives and properties. Furthermore, the young males in the herds repeatedly face such drives, get adapted to human pressures such as fire, loud noises, elephant crackers, and even gunshots and become more aggressive towards the human; therefore the human elephant conflict will be escalated.
We really appreciate efforts made by HE in preparation of the “National Human- elephant Conflict mitigation action plan” which was prepared by a multi stakeholders committee consist with field experts, university lecturers, relevant department heads including wildlife, forest, agrarian services, and irrigation, as well as district level administrative officers in the areas where the HEC is worst. Now there is no need to be blind and the only thing that the government has to do is implement the action plan as it is.
Supun Lahiru Prakash
Convener - Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle
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