Villagers affected by wild elephants to protest outside Wildlife Minister’s house

Residents in the Ulukkulama area of the Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka have called on the authorities to find a proper solution to the conflict between human and elephants, especially, when wild elephants enter their villages.

Chief Incumbent of the Sarananda Temple in Ulukkulama, Ven.

Millewe Dhammakeerthi Thero says that a continuous protest would be organised outside the residence of Wildlife Minister S.M. Chandrasena if he fails to resolve the conflict between humans and elephants by January next year.

Ulukkulama residents held a protest yesterday after the funeral of a 57-year-old father of two, who was killed by a wild elephant after it had entered the village. Ven. Dhammakeerthi Thero has said that about 20,000 people from the villages surrounding Ulukkulama would participate in the protest campaign since they are all affected.

He has added that it was the Government’s responsibility to create an environment where the people could live without fear.

Sri Lanka has allocated Rs. 100 million in its 2012 Budget to implement programmes to minimise the human-elephant conflict and crop damage by the elephants, the Minister said Tuesday.

The Government plans to set up four centres for wild elephant conservation with the aim of minimising the human-elephant conflict.

(Colombo Page)