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Human-elephant conflict escalates in Hambantota
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The Wild Life Department said around 347 homes were destroyed by elephants
The human-elephant conflict in the Hambantota district is escalating.
Between 2010 to 2017 twenty-five people died as a result of wild elephant attacks. Fifty-seven elephants were also killed during this period. The Hambantota District covers 2,609 sq km land spread over the 12 Divisional Secretariats. Unfortunately, under the new development projects 2,000 hectares of forest land -the habitat of the elephants were cleared- (800 hectares for the Mattala airport and 1,200 hectares for the for the Suriyawewa International Stadium).
This has led to the animals invading the villages in search of food. It has also made the villages of Suriyawewa and Lunugamvehera especially vulnerable to marauding elephants.
Last week wild elephants destroyed around 10 houses and laid waste to entire crops of cultivated land in Suriyawewa. Resultantly villagers spend sleepless nights fighting against foraging beasts in the district.
Wild Life officials emphasise, the conflict is a direct result of recent ‘development’ activity which has seen large-scale clearing of forests and forced the elephants to enter villages to forage for food.
According to the Wild Life Department around 347 houses have been damaged by wild elephants. An officer of the Wild Life Department in Hambantota said officers of the department carry out patrols at night in an effort to keep the animals away from villages.
The cause for this tragedy the officer said is the extensive clearing of the forest. Reports of humans killing elephants too are emerging and this, is a sad story he said.
Tell-tale marks after a herd destroyed the cultivation
Residents said elephants break into rooms where paddy is stored -Pix by Rahula Samantha Hettiarachchi