In collaboration with Spa Ceylon, the Sri Lanka Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) is running a series of programs titled “Help Save The Majestic Ceylon Elephant” to raise awareness about human-elephant conflict and empower those affected by it.
Spa Ceylon, the world’s largest luxury Ayurvedic wellness brand, has joined hands with WNPS to celebrate World Elephant Day 2024. The goal is to raise awareness about the ever-growing elephant-human conflict and support affected Sri Lankans. A series of programs has been organized, with events starting today (August 12) in conjunction with World Elephant Day.
A related media awareness event was held at Spa Ceylon in Dehiwala on the 7th. Additionally, a wellness run, part of the inaugural activities, took place on August 11, 2024, starting at 6:30 AM from Colombo Independence Square. Organized to support WNPS’s conservation efforts, this “run” included 5km and 2km distances, with the top three runners receiving valuable gifts from Spa Ceylon and WNPS.
Following the race, a scholarship program called “Gaja Nana Sahana” was launched for children who lost a parent due to elephant-human conflict. In the past five years, 689 people have died as a result of this conflict, with 169 deaths in 2023 alone. Most of those who died were the primary income earners for their families, and their untimely deaths have severely impacted their families’ socio-economic status. The primary objective of this scholarship program is to support the educational needs of these affected families, particularly the children.
In the first phase of the scholarship program, school students who lost a parent in 2023 due to the elephant-human conflict will be considered as beneficiaries. They will receive a monthly scholarship until they complete their formal education. The application process was announced at the event, and the first scholarship winners will be announced within a month.
Simultaneously, a poster exhibition was held to raise awareness about the various conservation challenges elephants face and how WNPS is working to address them.
Speaking at the event, Spa Ceylon Co-Founder and Group Director Shalin Balasuriya said, “Our country has the highest elephant population density in Asia, and they are an important part of our heritage. Therefore, it is our responsibility to protect them. This should be a goal not only for wildlife conservationists but for all Sri Lankans. Spa Ceylon is passionately committed to advancing Sri Lanka’s elephant conservation efforts and raising awareness of human-elephant conflict.”
Supun Lahiru Prakash, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Human-Elephant Coexistence of WNPS, addressed the assembly and stated, “Since its inception in 1894, WNPS has recognized the importance of wild elephants as a unique part of the country’s biodiversity. The existence of forests and the creatures living in them depends on elephants. If elephants eventually become extinct, many other species will follow, and the island’s rich biodiversity will soon disappear.” He emphasized that the Sub-Committee on Elephant-Human Coexistence focuses on mitigating these conflicts and conserving elephants according to specific strategies.
As the final part of this series of programs, the monthly lecture titled “Coexistence with Wild Elephants: A Comparison Between Botswana and Sri Lanka,” organized by Nations Trust Bank in association with WNPS, will be delivered by renowned conservationists Dr. Tempi Adams and Dr. Sumit Pilapitiya. The lecture will take place on August 15, 2024, at Jasmine Hall, Bandaranaike International Conference Hall premises. The scholars will pay special attention to the elephant-human conflict, a significant socio-economic and conservation challenge facing Sri Lanka.
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