The issue of human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka is becoming increasingly alarming as wildlife experts question the effectiveness of proposed elephant corridors. Over the past fifteen years, thousands of elephants and humans have lost their lives due to clashes, primarily driven by elephants seeking food and water from human settlements.
The Sri Lankan government is set to establish four corridors, but experts, including chief scientist Prithiviraj Fernando, express doubts about their potential success. They argue that these corridors may not align with the actual behavior of elephants, many of which do not migrate. Last year alone saw numerous human fatalities linked to elephants, significantly impacting local livelihoods and leading to substantial government compensation for damages.
Despite attempts to address the problem through traditional strategies, such as elephant drives, these measures have often failed. Experts emphasize the need for scientifically-informed approaches, citing that previous policies often overlooked critical advice. Current initiatives suggest community-managed resources, which have proven effective in reducing fatalities, but a recent government change puts these plans on hold, raising concerns for the future of both elephants and communities.
Difficult words
- corridor — narrow protected path for animal movementcorridors
- migrate — move seasonally or regularly to another area
- fatality — a death caused by an accident or violencefatalities
- livelihood — the way people earn money and survivelivelihoods
- compensation — money given to pay for a loss
- approach — a planned method to solve a problemapproaches
- strategy — a careful plan designed to achieve goalsstrategies
- resource — a supply of support or useful materialsresources
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Discussion questions
- How might putting community-managed programmes on hold affect both local people and elephants?
- What evidence or data would you want to see before building new elephant corridors?
- What non-violent strategies could communities use to reduce clashes with elephants?
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