Tuesday May 19, 2026
Tuesday May 19, 2026
Tuesday, 19 May 2026 02:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shanika Sriyananda
Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi said that since there had been no sustainable national policy to effectively mitigate the human-elephant conflict (HEC) and address broader issues related to elephants in the country, the Government intended to obtain a comprehensive report by appointing a multi-stakeholder committee.
He noted that with the increasing number of human-elephant conflict incidents reported in the country, the Government was deeply concerned about finding long-term solutions to issues related to elephants.
“The Government is also exploring solutions to the shortage of elephants for cultural events with the upcoming Perahera season,” he said at a press conference held to brief about the progress of the Managed Elephant Reserve (MER) in Hambantota, yesterday, at the Government Information Department.
He said that the initiative was introduced in 2020 to address the HEC but it lacked proper legal implementation. “We need to resolve these shortcomings, and the Ministry will address these matters in the future by appointing a committee to provide recommendations,” the Minister Patabendi said.
He further stated that another expert committee would be appointed for elephant conservation and research activities. Special attention will be given to transforming the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage into a research centre dedicated to elephant conservation and studies.
Meanwhile, Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakodi elaborated on the steps being taken to develop the MER in Hambantota and explained that although the MER had previously been declared, the required legal regulations had not been prepared.
He said that with the assistance of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the regulations were finalised and published through an Extraordinary Gazette on 30 January 2026.
Under these regulations, a management committee will be established to resolve the issues identified in relation to the HEC within the area.
He said that habitat restoration initiatives would be commenced under the MER in the areas of Sooriyawewa, Lunugamvehera, and Thanamalwila.
The project aims to create a sustainable habitat for wild elephants, thereby preventing them from entering nearby villages in search of food and water.
According to the Deputy Minister, the proposal for the reserve originated from local communities themselves.
“Farmer organisations and environmentally conscious residents in these areas did not ask for land for cultivation. Instead, they requested land that could be managed properly for elephants to live safely,” he stated.
The reserve acts as an important wildlife corridor connecting Yala National Park, Bundala National Park, and Udawalawe National Park.
However, the Deputy Minister Jayakodi explained that the lack of sufficient food and water resources within the reserve has forced elephants to enter nearby villages, worsening the HEC in the region.
According to Jayakodi, the Ministry has identified several major restoration measures, including rehabilitation of six existing tanks to ensure year-round water availability, preparation and development of grasslands to provide adequate fodder for elephants and removal of invasive plant species that obstruct the growth of natural elephant food sources.
Emphasising the need of people-based conservation efforts to facilitate the DWLC to conserve elephants, he called on the public to actively participate in this initiative.
“We invite civil organisations, environmental groups, and local communities to contribute to this habitat enrichment effort,” he said, adding that residents in the area have already expressed willingness to support the initiative.
Meanwhile, the DWLC Director General Ranjan Marasinghe confirmed that there were no solar energy parks located within the MER and setting up of such projects would be prohibited under the new regulations.
According to authorities, there are approximately 200 wild elephants in the Hambantota region, although some elephants have reportedly migrated towards Bundala National Park committee to formulate a comprehensive national strategy after years of fragmented and weakly enforced policies.
“There has not been a sustainable policy framework to properly mitigate the human-elephant conflict or address broader elephant-related issues in the country,” Patabandi told reporters at a press briefing held at the Department of Government Information. “We now intend to obtain a comprehensive report through a committee consisting of all relevant institutions.”
Sri Lanka records one of the world’s highest rates of human-elephant conflict, with recurring clashes causing deaths among both humans and elephants each year. Expanding agriculture, habitat fragmentation and shrinking forest corridors have intensified tensions in rural districts, particularly in the south-eastern dry zone.
Patabendi acknowledged that earlier attempts to address the issue had failed to produce long-term results due to inadequate legal backing.
“In 2020 there was a plan to address these matters, but it lacked proper legal implementation,” he said. “We need to correct those shortcomings and obtain practical recommendations for the future.”
The Minister also said the Government was examining the growing shortage of domesticated elephants available for religious and cultural processions ahead of the annual Perahera season, a sensitive issue in a country where elephants hold strong religious and ceremonial significance.
As part of a wider conservation push, the government plans to appoint a separate expert committee focused on elephant research and conservation policy. Authorities also intend to transform the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage into a dedicated research and conservation centre.
Meanwhile, Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakodi outlined plans to restore and strengthen the Managed Elephant Reserve (MER) spanning Sooriyawewa, Lunugamvehera and Thanamalwila in the Hambantota district.
The reserve functions as a critical wildlife corridor connecting Yala National Park, Bundala National Park and Udawalawe National Park.
Jayakodi said the area had suffered from years of ecological degradation, forcing elephants to enter nearby villages in search of food and water.
“Because of the lack of food and water required within the reserve, elephants have increasingly moved into human settlements, intensifying the conflict in this region,” he said.
The Government’s restoration program includes rehabilitating six irrigation tanks to ensure year-round water access, developing grasslands for fodder and removing invasive plant species that obstruct natural vegetation growth.
Jayakodi stressed that the effort would require collaboration beyond government agencies.
“The Department of Wildlife Conservation cannot do this work alone,” he said. “We are inviting civil organisations, environmental groups and local communities to contribute to this habitat enrichment effort.”
The reserve itself emerged following requests from local farming and environmental groups, according to the deputy minister.
“People in these areas did not ask for additional land for cultivation,” Jayakodi said. “Instead, they requested properly managed land where elephants could live safely.”
Although the Managed Elephant Reserve was originally gazetted in 2021, officials said the required legal framework was only finalised this year. The regulations were published through an Extraordinary Gazette on 30 January 2026.
Under the new regulations, authorities plan to establish a management committee tasked with overseeing conservation activities and conflict mitigation measures within the reserve.
The Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation said no solar energy parks currently operate within the Managed Elephant Reserve and confirmed that such developments would be prohibited under the new regulations.
Officials estimate that around 200 wild elephants currently inhabit the Hambantota region and they include the migratory herd to the Bundala National Park.
