Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa has called for a dedicated programme to protect Sri Lanka’s elephant population, saying lessons must be learned from the death of tusker Kawanthissa to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Opposition Leader made these remarks today (26) at a meeting of the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Climate Change.
Premadasa proposed establishing a mobile response programme, similar to the 1990 emergency ambulance service, specifically focused on protecting elephants and ensuring their safety.
He urged the Department of Wildlife Conservation to introduce a programme tailored to the needs of the species and called for a coordinated effort to safeguard the country’s elephant population.
“We must take the Kawanthissa incident as a lesson and ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” he said, stressing the need for a dedicated and integrated approach to elephant conservation.
