Poachers and tree fellers go wild in Wilpattu

Pix and text by Hiran P. Jayasinghe

The temporary closure of the Wilpattu National Park, following a brutal suspected LTTE attack that claimed nine lives three months ago, has turned it in to a happy hunting grounds for the LTTE, poachers and illicit tree fellers, villagers say.

Acting Park warden J.A. Weerasinghe

Extending over an area of 131,667 hectares Wilpattu is the largest wild life sanctuary in the country. The park was closed in 1985 after the LTTE killed 28 park officials. It was reopened after 18 years in 2003. During that closure 400 to 500 year-old valuable Palu and Burutha trees had been chopped down and wild animals hunted indiscriminately.

Largest wild life sanctuary in Sri Lanka still closed to the public

An optimistic Environment Minister Champika Ranawaka said the park has been combed thoroughly by the Army and there has been no evidence of LTTE activity. He was hopeful that the park would be re-opened soon.

However, villagers in the area say there has been increased activity by the LTTE and in addition villagers were felling valuable timber including Satin and feasting on wild boar.

On another front, those who were making a living by supplying safari jeeps to local and foreign tourists have been badly hit, forcing some of them to even sell their vehicles.Other park officials including trackers have been affected with some of them still awaiting confirmation in their posts.

Acting Park warden J.A.Weerasinghe said the brutal killings three months back appears to have sealed the fate of the park. He said the incident heightened the problem of ensuring the safety of visitors to the sanctuary.