Protesters who gathered near Sobadaham Piyasa in Battaramulla yesterday said that the Ministry of Environment and the Department of Wildlife Conservation must take responsibility for the death of Kavanthissa, an elephant considered the tallest in South Asia. They said that the Director General of Wildlife Conservation and Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi must resign immediately, accepting responsibility for the elephant’s death.
A large number of people, including Buddhist monks, environmentalists and social activists, joined the peaceful protest held in front of the Ministry of Environment yesterday morning.
Among the protesters were people from areas such as Galgamuwa, where human-elephant conflict is common. They said that people were gradually taking over grasslands and tank areas used by elephants in their areas.
They also said that although they had made many complaints about such incidents, wildlife officials had failed to take effective action. As a result, they said, they had faced threats from illegal traders and other people involved in these activities.
Environmentalists and local residents had warned for a long time about threats to Kavanthissa’s life. However, the protesters said that the responsible authorities had failed to take the necessary action.
They pointed out that neglecting elephants such as Kavanthissa, which should have been protected as a national treasure, was a clear example of the inefficiency of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Ministry of Environment.
The protesters said that the Director General of Wildlife Conservation and the Minister in charge, Dhammika Patabendi, must resign immediately, accepting responsibility for Kavanthissa’s death while the elephant was receiving veterinary treatment.
The protesters also pointed out that people continued to take over elephant migration routes, grasslands and other forest areas. They said that illegal bushmeat trade, poaching and other human activities had become common in forests, leading to conflicts between elephants and people.
They stressed that the government had a responsibility to find a solution to this situation.
Manjula Perera
Speaking to the media, well-known wildlife photographer Manjula Perera said that Kavanthissa was not the only elephant to have died in this way. He said that several elephants, including Bhatia, had also been killed in recent times. He pointed out that the lack of proper intervention by the Department of Wildlife Conservation was one of the main reasons for these deaths.
He also said that the whole country knew that Agriculture Minister Lal Kantha had told farmers to do whatever they wanted with wild animals that entered their cultivation lands.
He said that such an irresponsible statement by a people’s representative serving in Parliament at public expense could not be accepted.
Wildlife photographer Manjula Perera pointed out that the minister’s inappropriate statement had encouraged not only the killing of elephants but also the killing of other wild animals by hunters.
He said that immediate action must be taken to protect the remaining elephants, including Agbo.
He also proposed recruiting veterinary graduates from the University of Peradeniya to the Department of Wildlife Conservation to break the monopoly among veterinary surgeons.
He stressed that the responsible authorities had a duty to listen to public protests and take action.