Patron:
His Excellency Sri Lanka Ambassador to
the United States of America
Mitigating human-elephant conflicts by providing safe transportation
January 23, 2014
A family running away from an elephant
Background
The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) has been addressing the resolution of humanelephant conflict (HEC) for the past 18 years. HEC is one of the biggest environmental and socio-economic
crises of rural Sri Lanka. Annually elephants cause over ~US$10 million worth of crop and property
damage to rural farmers. In retaliation farmers kill elephants. Up until 2007, on average every year 150
elephants were killed by farmers in retaliation for crop raiding. Since 2008, the number of elephants that
were killed went up to 224 and in 2009 it was 228. Now on average 225 elephants are killed per year. In
addition elephants kill about 60-80 people every year. Most of these farmers are killed in their own villages,
backyards and fields. This is an alarming situation. HEC is pretty intense in Sri Lanka and is escalating
practically every year.
We have one of the longest operating participatory community-based HEC resolution projects in the world,
which is our Saving Elephants by Helping People (SEHP) Project. The SEHP Project in 2008 received a
prestigious UNDP Equator Initiative Equator Prize for its outstanding efforts to alleviate poverty through
the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
SRI LANKA: 6/5 Kanatte Road • Udahamulla • Sri Lanka • Tel: +94-11-2804710 • Fax: +94-11-2804710
USA: 127 Kingsland Street • Nutley • NJ 07110 • USA • Tel/Fax: (973) 667-0576
Email: [email protected] ; Website: www.SLWCS.org ; Skype: slwcs-chat
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Human-elephant Conflicts
Our efforts have made it possible for elephants and people to coexist in a region that used to be rife with
conflicts. As the old saying goes, for us now it is a matter of “not just winning the war, but the challenge of
keeping the peace.” The co-existence is tenuous at most especially in an elephant corridor that is used both
by elephants and people. Maintaining the peace in this corridor is becoming a huge challenge day by day.
The corridor is vital for the elephants from the Wasgamuwa National Park to access an irrigation tank that is
located outside for water and food. The corridor is also used by villagers from two villages located in the
forest reserve. So it is not unusual to see both people and elephants traveling through the corridor
practically every day. It is not uncommon to see school children, men and women walking, biking or
traveling in Land Master tractors while elephants are present on either side.
Obviously the pedestrians and cyclists traveling through this corridor are apprehensive of the elephants.
Some misguided individuals harass and provoke elephants by making noises, lighting firecrackers and
traveling in large and noisy three wheeler convoys to scare them away. Such behavior unfortunately makes
elephants especially the dominant bulls more aggressive and hostile rather than scared of people. School
children are highly vulnerable since they have to walk to school and back in the morning and afternoon
amidst wild elephants (see attached images). Several times we have been present when bulls have
attempted to charge school children. We monitor this corridor frequently and whenever we are there we
help by transporting people, especially women and children or by escorting them so that these people can
get to their homes safely.
Since recently the situation has become worse with men armed with guns purposely trying to shoot
elephants in the corridor. The recent most incident occurred this past December 2013 when two men tried
to shoot an elephant. Fortunately our field personnel were present and they managed to talk them out of it
on the understanding that we will try to find a long term solution to their problem.
School girls looking apprehensively at three bulls feeding by the roadside
Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society
http://www.SLWCS.org
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Pedestrians walking by feeding elephants
A bull elephant charging a passing motorcyclist
Solution
Today, as the rural human populations increase and encroach into wildlife habitats, the interface between
animals and people had become diffused and non-existent and this is one of the main reasons for this intense
conflict. This also poses a challenge for conservationists to come up with effective and innovative solutions
to mitigate the increasing and intensifying human wildlife conflicts. To resolve conflicts in the elephant
corridor there is a simple solution.
Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society
http://www.SLWCS.org
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It is not uncommon to see situations like this practically every day in the elephant corridor
A herd and a massive bull crossing the road that runs through the elephant corridor
This to provide a bus service that could ply between the main road and the two villages that are accessed
through the elephant corridor. What we need is just one small bus which could be maintained by the fares
that will be charged from the commuters. The bus will provide a safe and secure conveyance for these
villagers to commute while allowing the elephants to use the corridor without being harassed, injured or
chased from their habitat. The bus will help to resolve conflict and maintain the coexistence we have
achieved in a once conflict zone.
Sustainability
The bus will be maintained from the fares that are collected. The revenue from the fares could be further
increased by promoting the bus ride as a unique tourism experience. Tourists would love to experience a
local bus ride through an elephant corridor especially because by riding on the bus they are helping people
and elephants to use the same landscape without conflict. The bus could be developed into an economic
opportunity for the villagers. They can develop a cottage industry to provide these tourists with hospitality
services and opportunities to experience village culture and traditions. This could be a true ecotourism and
sustainable development opportunity which will also help the villagers to realize the economic benefits of
elephants.
Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society
http://www.SLWCS.org
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The ideal bus for the project
The Tata LP 713/38 PS 30 STR bus would be the ideal vehicle for this project. It has a 6 cylinder, 130 hp
TATA diesel engine with the capacity to carry 30 seated passengers. Most importantly it is good in hilly and
unpaved rugged roads and is suitable for rural passenger transport. While the villagers traveled inside the
bus, a sturdy hood-rack would provide a safe means for farmers to transport their produce to the main road.
Outcome
Today we live in a mostly conflict driven world, and every opportunity to resolve a conflict however
insignificant is a step forward to rid the world of one more conflict and an opportunity to create tolerance
and encourage coexistence.
Budget
The cost of the bus is US $30,000/- which includes registration and comprehensive insurance coverage.
Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society
http://www.SLWCS.org