The Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Ministry has focused on the news in the print and social media that vehicles were attacked by wild elephants on the Buttala-Kataragama Road.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, therefore, has advised the Wildlife Director General to start a short-term programme immediately to prevent this situation.
Accordingly, from 5 am to midnight on the last four days, officers and vehicles of the Yala Galge Forest Site Office have been deployed to drive away the wild elephants on the Buttala-Kataragama Road into the forest. Director General Chandana Suriyabandara said that the Wildlife Department is continuing this programme.
The Department of Wildlife said that damages caused by wild elephants have increased since some people travelling in vehicles on this road feed the wild elephants and get some thrills even by mauling them.
The Wildlife Director General has instructed the wildlife officials to arrest people who feed and harm wild elephants and take legal action against them. The wildlife Department said that during the past four days after the preventive measures were taken, wild elephants did not invade the road.
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