Sri Lanka is testing a new approach to the increasing conflict between the human and elephant populations, keeping the elephants away from human communities using electric fencing.

Conflict

Despite being an integral element of Sri Lankan culture, a religious symbol for both the majority Buddhist and minority Hindu communities, elephants are becoming an increasing nuisance and danger for towns and villages.

Hostility

As the human population grows increasingly elephants and people are being forced together fighting for dwindling space and resources. The Elephant Transit home a state run refuge for baby elephants is evidence of the increasing hostility of Sri Lankans toward their elephant neighbours. Here dozens of baby orphans are cared for after being separated from their herds, falling into wells and ditches or commonly as a result of being shot by angry farmers for raiding banana, sugar and rice crops.

All previous attempts to find a solution to the conflict have so far failed and the country’s elephant population is currently at an all time low. In 1900 there were estimated to have been 12,000 elephants in the country, today the number has dwindled to about 4000.

Annually hundreds of elephants are killed by villagers and incidences of herds trampling locals is relatively commonplace. 2009 evidenced the largest death tolls of recent times, with 50 people and 228 elephants losing their lives.

“Their aggressive behaviour has instilled fear and animosity among villagers when they roam in search of food and water,” explained Ananda Wijesooriya, Wildlife Department director general.

Past Failures

Previous attempts to drive elephants away from villages using loud hailers and firecrackers have failed, as has relocating elephants to national parks. Between 2005-2006 the government spent $1.5 million on driving elephants away from the far south of the island towards a national park in the southwest. 250 elephants were moved in the process- mostly females, babies and juveniles- however more than 300, including adult males, escaped the process.

“Elephants are very intelligent, they are very attached to their original home ranges and most often always try to come back,” said Prithiviraj Fernando, who heads the Sri Lankan Centre for Conservation and Research.

Fernando has been tracking elephants for nearly 15 years and insists that Sri Lankan’s are going to have to learn to exist alongside elephants.

A New Approach

Increasingly the government is working with private conservation groups to surround villages with electric fencing. This new approach towards the human-elephant conflict has a attracted $20 million loan from the World Bank and will be tested in the islands south.

“We must accept that the human-elephant conflict will never be solved. For that to happen, either the humans or the elephants must be eliminated,” said World Bank lead environmental specialist Sumith Pilapitiya.

Already in operation for the past 3 years in the southern area of Thammannawa early indications are positive.

“The locals’ crops are safe, their lives are safe, the elephants live. That’s the model we want to encourage,” said Fernando.

With both poaching and human-tiger conflict putting huge pressure on elephant populations, now more than ever any help you can give these magnificent animals will be invaluable. If you sponsor an elephant with WWF, not only will you get regular updates on exactly how your donations are helping, but you can be among the gradually increasing minority who aren’t happy to sit back and just let these animals fall near and nearer to extinction.