Open letter to the Director of Wildlife Conservation

At least now take action

The recent escalation of the conflicts that have developed between humans and elephants in various parts of the country are causing grave concern amongst those who are interested in the welfare of both humans and elephants. The deaths of both are recorded regularly.

Up to now the Department of Wildlife Conservation has only taken ad hoc measures to solve some of the problems that keep growing in proportion in certain areas. Action seems to be taken especially when there are deaths, media publicity or a public outcry.

The Handapanagala problem has been the main area of conflict that has been in the public eye. But this too remains unsolved for the past 15 or so years.

One of the main reasons for the lack of a permanent solution is that at no stage has any problem been studied in depth before a solution has been formulated. For instance, all the elephants that come to Handapanagala periodically and cause trouble to the residents there, are assumed, without any basis to come from the Yala National Park. Therefore they are all driven to Yala. The Department should have initiated a study of the movement of these elephants to and from Handapanagala to ascertain where they come from and where they go. The results of this study which need not have taken more than two years would have helped to arrive at a pragmatic solution. It is still not too late to initiate this study which I am sure would go a long way to help solve the Handapanagala problem.

Another disturbing trend is the killing of tuskers for the ivory they carry and also other elephants for the hair on their tails which are used to make bangles, rings etc. People mistakenly believe that a ring or a bangle with an elephant's hair on it gives the wearer the strength of an elephant.

It is now time that the Department of Wildlife Conservation took some positive action to arrest or at least reduce the human-elephant conflicts.

I would suggest that you initially call a meeting as early as possible, to assess the present position and based on this information form a plan to solve these problems. Your staff working in the conflict areas, the Divisional officials of these areas and a number of persons who have experience with wild elephants including Lyn de Alwis, A.B Fernando, Childers Jayewardene, Christy Wickremasinghe (all ex-Wildlife staffers) Charles Santiapillai, Lal Anthonis and Dr. Indra Katugaha should be invited to participate at this meeting. These people will be able to contribute positively to the plans you need to develop for the solution of the human-elephant problems. Individual site specific plans, based on the realities of each situation , are necessary, without continuing with the present method of attempting ad hoc solutions.

The Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust is willing to assist you in any serious and concerted effort that you may undertake to at least reduce the on-going human-elephant conflicts around the island.

Jayantha Jayewardene,
Managing Trustee
Biodiversity and Elephant
Conservation Trust

Looking at nature not only to see but to learn

By Udena R. Attygalle

Ecotourism? Doesn't that mean visiting Horton Plains or going to Yala to "see" the animals? Apparently not. The ecotourist differs from the average tourist in that he/she does not want to be a spectator but to actively learn of the country's natural resources .

"The word ecotourism, a special interest product in the niche segment of tourism is being misused as a marketing tool for nature tourism which destroys the resource base," reads to a statement issued by the Ecotourism Society of Sri Lanka which was formed at a meeting held on March 5, 1999 by a group of eminent scientists and professionals with interest and qualifications in ecotourism . The principal objective of the Ecotourism Society is to function as a "think tank " both for the public sector and the private sector, in the development of ecotourism in Sri Lanka on a planned scientific basis ensuring sustainable development. "It is the considered view of the executive committee of our society that the preservation of the ecotouristic base in the country consisting of the nature base:flora and fauna and the man-made bases:the cultural heritage and the archeological and historical sites, can only be ensured for the future generations with the conservation mechanisms incorporated in the principals of ecotourism," the statement said. Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Dharmasiri Senanayake, a vice patron of the society has agreed to declare the year 2000 as the "Year of Ecotourism" in Sri Lanka .The executive committee of the Ecotourism Society of Sri Lanka at its meeting held on July 29, unanimously decided to support this declaration, and link the activities of the society as a follow-up to the declaration. The Workshop on Ecotourism Destination Planning and Development is to be held in January 2000 after an inaugural lecture by Megan Epler Wood, President of the Ecotourism Society Inc, based in the US. Ms Epler Wood will speak on "Ecotourism-a world overview and Sri Lanka as an ecotourist destination".

At the request of Ms Megan Elper Wood, president of the Ecotourism Society Inc (TES) Ms Elizabeth Halpenny, workshop and marine coordinator of TES arrived in Sri Lanka on September 6. The aim of her visit was to conduct a preliminary survey of the ecotourism resource base and to identify local speakers on Sri Lanka's biodiversity ,archaeology, history, culture and folklore to ensure the professional quality of the workshop. "I was fascinated by all the amazing resources Sri Lanka has to offer," Ms Halpenny said. During her stay she visited Horton Plains and made the trek to Baker's Falls and World's End. Horton Plains, she said, was one of the most spectacular bio-diversity sites she had ever seen and has great potential for the development of eco-tourism due to its extensive biodiversity. She also visited the Kanneliya rain forest in the south. Ms. Halpenny was of the view that the country had a cultural and natural eco-tourism base that could be developed. But all was not rosy.

She cited Hikkaduwa as a place where the resource base had not been properly handled and stressed the importance of the domestic ecotourist as well. She also talked about the need to reduce the impact on already over-populated tourist areas (i.e the impact on the resource base with tourists going to the same areas.)

President of the Ecotourism Society, Chandra de Silva pointed out that on their visit to the Pinnawela elephant orphanage, the guides had not even explained how this unique orphanage works. And so the need for improvement in guide training too was discussed . "In advanced ecotourism destinations, guides are referred to as "interpreters" and their job is to stimulate the curiosity of the tourists," Mr. de Silva said.

Ms. Halpenny explained that most ecotourists being educated would seek assistance from their guides and local interpreters to find about local cultural assets, fauna and flora and guides need to meet this need. She also stressed the importance of involving the local community in the ecotourism industry by training of interpreters and improving the quality of local arts and crafts, which ecotourists would seek to buy as souvenirs.

Prof Sarath Kotagama of the Colombo University, the Vice President of the society also participated in the discussion.

Both the pre-event trip and the workshop is funded by a US$ 26,000 grant by the Technology Initiative of the Private Sector (TIPS), an arm of the United States Agency for International Development, through Raymond Jubitz, CEO of TIPS.

More Plus

Return to the Plus Contents