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Villagers take to the trees
Marauding elephants have forced many farmers and villagers in the Dambulla district to live on tree tops. The worst affected are elderly men , women and young children who have to climb bamboo ladders at nightfall and come down at dawn.
At dawn most farmers often find their crops damaged. I.G. Anagi, a 76 year-old woman from Wewala, lives in a village falling under the Dambulla Divisional Secretariat.
As dusk falls the people are forced to take to the trees
Despite pain in her legs, every night she has to climb into a tree house to shelter from elephant attacks. These tree houses are now a common sight as villagers seek safe haven from a group of eight wild elephants who rampage through their villages destroying crops. “There are times, I refuse to climb and expect death. The elephants destroyed all the coconut trees I tended,” Ms . Anagi said.
As dusk falls, villagers of Sigirimulla, Egodawewa, Mailaththewa, Polaththuwa, Alakolawewa, Humbasmulla, Wewala and Nikawatawana pack night meals, mats, sheets and take to the trees. “Complaints are made in vain.
People live in constant fear”, said Kosgahaheenge Jinananda Thera who has been complaining to authorities on the ongoing havoc caused by wild elephants.
The Thera said every morning people climb down from the tree-houses fearing their crops would have been damaged and/or their wattle and daub thatched houses destroyed. Unfortunately they find that their homes and crops had in fact been attacked and homes destroyed at night.
“This area comes under the Sigiriya wild life office, but there is a shortage of officers and vehicles. “Villagers are pleading with the authorities to put up an electrified fence,” the Thera said.
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