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Face a fine, if you feed elephants on Buttala-Sella Kataragama Road: Officials
View(s):Those who feed wild elephants on the Buttala-Sella Kataragama Road will be arrested and fined by courts, officials warn, amidst concern over an increasing number of attacks on vehicles.
By Nadia Fazlul-Haq
The warning came after social media video clips showed several vehicles on the Buttala-Sella Kataragama Road coming under attack from elephants looking for food.
Several vehicles, including buses and vans, have suffered damage when elephants, looking for food, thrust their trunks into vehicles. In the absence of electric fences along the road, motorists encountering elephants on this road is becoming far too common.
Wildlife Director General Chandana Sooriyabandara said instructions had been sent to wildlife officials to increase mobile patrols in the area not only to drive away elephants to the forest but also to take action against those who were caught feeding elephants.
“We have put up posters asking people not to feed wild elephants. If people continue to feed elephants, they will expect food from all vehicles and won’t make an effort to find their food in the wild. If they do not get what they want, they will become agitated and may cause harm to people and vehicles,” he said.
Anyone found feeding an elephant will be arrested and fined by a court in keeping with the Flora and Fauna Ordinance, the DG said.
Experts also have urged the public to refrain from feeding snacks to elephants as it may cause more harm than good to the elephants.
Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust Management Trustee Jayantha Jayewardena said some people who used this road believed that feeding an elephant was a meritorious act, while others fed them to take photographs and videos.
“By doing this they are indirectly encouraging the elephants to frequently roam the road both during day and night in search of food.
“In the national park, there are enough food sources for elephants. They have their main meals and the food given by people is like treats. The elephant, too, enjoys it, and expects treats all the time or else becomes annoyed and desperate,” he said.
He said regular patrol by wildlife officials would prevent elephants from coming to the road.
Dr Prithviraj Fernando, head of the Centre for Conservation and Research, told the Sunday Times if people did not desist from feeding wild elephants, the alternative was to close the road for a few months.
“This road was constructed across the park. If the situation worsens, the road will have to be closed and motorists will have to take the longer alternative route,” he said.
All Island Combined Wildlife Officers Union President Prabash Karunathilake said if the elephants got used to the habit of getting food from motorists, wildlife officials would find it difficult to confine them in their natural setting.
“Sometimes, fruits in shopping bags are thrown onto the road for elephants to eat. There have been instances where we had to treat elephants for cut injuries to the trunk,” he said, pointing out that a similar problem in the Udawalawe area was solved to a great extent by erecting electric fences.
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