Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for the Sri Lankan wild elephant to be recognised as the country’s national animal, and for a scientific approach to resolving the human-elephant conflict.
He made the call in a message issued ahead of World Elephant Day, which falls on 12 August.
‘Part of who we are’
The Sri Lankan elephant is “far more than a magnificent species of our wildlife,” Premadasa said. “It is a part of who we are.” For thousands of years, he said, the elephant has been woven into the history, culture, traditions and civilisation of the island, living alongside its people and becoming an enduring symbol of Sri Lanka itself.
That relationship is now in crisis, he said. Elephants are losing their habitats and traditional ranges, rural communities are living with fear, losses and uncertainty, and farmers are losing crops and livelihoods while elephants lose their lives.
“The human-elephant conflict is not a problem that can be solved by protecting elephants alone, nor by protecting people alone,” Premadasa said. “We must protect both.”
Beyond a symbolic title
The Opposition Leader argued that designating the elephant as the national animal should not be merely a title or a symbol.
He said it should instead become a national commitment to science-based conservation, the protection of elephant habitats and corridors, responsible development, and practical measures that protect the lives and livelihoods of rural communities.
Sri Lanka holds one of the largest surviving populations of the Asian elephant, and the conflict between elephants and expanding human settlement remains among the country’s most persistent conservation problems, claiming both human and elephant lives every year.
