Skills Development and Vocational Training Deputy Minister Karunarathna Paranawithana suggested that local authorities should devise methods to export the surplus wild-elephants roaming the country as a resolution to the human-elephant conflict.
The Deputy Minister made these comments while attending the Balangoda Coordination Committee yesterday (4).
He shed light on the fact that Sri Lanka should have only 4000 wild elephants as a surplus would cause a hindrance to both the people and the animals. He also stated that currently, there are approximately 6000 elephants resulting in recurrent conflicts with residents near the elephant sanctuaries.
Several participants made the Deputy Minister aware of the nuisance caused by other wild animals like wild boar and monkeys. In response Deputy Minister Paranawithana stated that, if laws have been enforced legalizing the killing of such animals, people should be allowed to sell their meat as well.
