Jul 28 2025.
views 49By Anudsha David
Buddhist Clergy, Corporates and Reputed Organisations Urge Government to Safeguard Animals and Nature Through Scientific, Humane Policies
A landmark gathering took place in Colombo last week, which brought together members of the Buddhist clergy, animal welfare organisations, corporate representatives, and citizens. “Adopt proven scientific methods rather than ad hoc, knee-jerk reactions that are short-lived and often do more harm than good”, was their message.
Venerable Pagoda Janithawansha Thero: "The weapons given to farmers must definitely be taken back. Farming isn't done with guns. These are rarely used to shoot animals. It's clear that these elephants are being killed by an organised sniper gang. They are shot directly in the head. This is a well-organised exercise.. The animals are found dead in the jungle, not in the paddy fields. Don't accuse the farmers. They are not committing these killings. Farmers, who worship gods and Buddha and engage in agriculture, would never take a gun and shoot such a magnificent animal. They are people who understand merit and demerit (good and bad karma).
These killings are being carried out by an organised group. We're asking for these weapons to be taken back. Once these weapons are retrieved, we can find out whose weapons were used in the shooting. They have also blocked elephant pathways and elephant corridors, giving thousands of acres of land to their political associates for various projects. Some planted coconuts. I challenge them to tell the public how much was added to the national income by giving away thousands of acres like this? There is no development or income generated; all that has happened is that trees are being cut down, and the animals are being killed. Sri Lanka’s elephants are a national symbol and a vital part of the country’s ecosystem.
We, the public, DEMAND a scientifically grounded solution to the worsening Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). Already in 2025, with just over seven months gone, 224 elephant deaths have been recorded. If this trend continues, Sri Lanka could see another tragic year of loss for one of its most iconic species”.
Rukshan Jayawardene, Environmentalist, Conservationist and Wildlife Specialist: “ 44% of Sri Lanka’s land area is now shared by humans and elephants, representing 70% of the current elephant range.
1. Elephants need large tracts of continuous wilderness land to survive in. In the absence of such large tracts of wilderness, they live in patches of forests that exist in mixed-use landscapes and come out at night to raid adjacent agricultural land, exacerbating human elephant conflict. The solution is to have the political will to resettle people in alternate lands away from elephant neighbours, and allow elephants to reclaim land that was theirs until recently. Politically created problems need political solutions.
2. More Managed Elephant Reserves( M.E.R’s) need to be created wherever elephants and people already exist, albeit in a state of perpetual conflict. in order to promote coexistence
3. Remove all! encroachments in wilderness corridors that elephants have used for millennia, in order to move between essential resources. When elephants have untrammelled access to water and other resources that are essential resources, they will leave people and their farmsteads alone. Many illegal fences need to come down as they not only hurt elephants who then hurt back, but they also divert elephants towards houses and roads, resulting in more conflict.
4. All elephant drives must stop! They are disastrous failures that exacerbate human elephant conflict immensely. They remain ‘sound and light shows’ for the gullible farming community, who for generations have been gulled into believing they work.
5. The fact that human suffering caused by the Human Elephant Conflict [ HEC ] must be solved by ministries and departments that exist for solving human problems, MUST be reinforced in the minds of the public. All departments within the government exist for alleviating human suffering. Only the understaffed, underpaid Department of Wildlife Conservation exists to look after all non-human species in the entire island. They must be allowed to do their custodial and management job, and given the resources to do it with.
6. The numbers speak for themselves, revealing a modern-day tragedy unfolding across the island. Between 2015 and 2024, nearly 600 elephants were killed, most of them victims of Human-Elephant Conflict. These are not just statistics—they are a stark reminder of a collective failure and moral crisis that challenges our values as a society. Already in 2025, with just over seven months gone, 224 elephant deaths have been recorded. If this trend continues, Sri Lanka could see another tragic year of loss for one of its most iconic species. These are not just statistics—they are a stark reminder of a collective failure and moral crisis that challenges our values as a society”.
Thanuja Navaratne – Attorney at Law: “Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads. The problems facing its elephants, wildlife, and street dogs are not unsolvable—they require political will, scientific insight, and coordinated implementation. Proven global models are readily available. The question is whether the government will act before more animal and human lives are needlessly lost”.
Sharmini Ratnayake, Animal Welfare Trust: “Sri Lanka has long struggled with its street dog population. For over a century, the Rabies Ordinance Act of 1893 encouraged the outdated colonial-era "catch and kill" approach, which has proven ineffective and inhumane. A significant policy shift came in 2006 under President Mahinda Rajapaksa, when the government adopted a more scientific and proven approach: sterilisation, vaccination, and return to the territory.
Yet despite these efforts, the street dog population continues to grow. The problem is not simply logistical—it is also cultural, behavioural, and institutional. Unwanted litters are frequently dumped on roadsides. The breeding industry remains entirely unregulated. No single government agency has taken full ownership of the issue, leading to a lack of accountability.
A past survey in Colombo found that 46% of the dogs seen on the streets were, in fact, owned but allowed to roam freely. Dogs are territorial by nature; removing them from an area simply invites others to take their place”.
Dr. Krishanthi Rondon Fuentes - Animal Wellness Trust: “By contrast, Sri Lanka’s 2006 commitment to sterilise one million dogs in five years was never properly resourced or coordinated. Since then, a series of poorly executed, short-lived initiatives have come and gone. For example, under the Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the government introduced mass caging, which removed dogs without addressing their ability to continue reproducing”.
Madri Jayasekera - Justice for Animals: However, the potential for success is real. According to one veterinary expert, if the government sterilises 400,000 female dogs over two years and maintains the effort over the next three, the entire street dog problem could be solved within a single parliamentary term. Street dogs in Sri Lanka live only 4–6 years, making population control through sterilisation a realistic and humane solution.
Shilpa Samaratunge - Tails of Freedom: The Breeding Industry is Unregulated. The dog breeding industry is completely unregulated. Backyard breeders put profit before welfare, while unsuspecting buyers purchase pedigreed puppies without fully understanding the responsibilities involved. In countries like the UK and Germany, local authorities are responsible for issuing dog breeding licenses, inspecting breeding premises and ensuring compliance with welfare standards. In Sri Lanka, anyone can become a breeder.
Iromi Salgado - AWPA: In Sri Lanka and South Asia, Dogs are Kept Outdoors. In the West, dogs live Indoors as integral members of the family. They join in birthdays, holidays, photographs, social media updates, walks, and evening TV. They receive dedicated care, from special diets to regular visits to the vet, like a child or close companion. In Sri Lanka, this level of companionship is mostly limited to upper-middle-class families. Amongst the majority of the population—home owners, shopkeepers, and rural households drawn from the lower middle class and working class—the concept of pet ownership is entirely different. Here, dogs are kept outdoors (usually outside the front gate) and fed leftovers in exchange for guarding the home or property. The relationship is transactional; it fulfils a specific need with little emotional connection.
Anusha David – “Rescue Animals Sri Lanka": While Sri Lanka struggles with implementation, other countries offer clear, effective models: Singapore replaced its catch-and-kill policy in 2018 and sterilised 80% of its street dog population within a year through a public-private partnership involving veterinarians, animal groups, and community feeders.
Similarly, Bhutan, upholding its Buddhist principles, launched a national campaign in 2022 and achieved 100% sterilisation and vaccination by 2023. As a result, the country is expected to see a 70% reduction in its street dog population by 2028.
India, through its Animal Birth Control Rules, replaced catch-and-kill and adopted sterilisation as its official national policy in 2001. Cities like Vadodara have already sterilised 86% of their street dog population, which will reduce their street dog population by 60-70% by 2027. Lucknow is on target to sterilise 90% by December 2025, effectively bringing an end to its street dog population within the next four years”.
Rehan Samarakone - KOTTE ANIMAL WELFARE: An efficient and well-managed sterilisation programme, which includes vaccinating and returning the dogs to their original territories, is the only effective solution to reducing the street dog population. It requires a collaborative public-private partnership involving government agencies, veterinary authorities, private sector veterinarians, animal welfare organisations, and local government authorities, each contributing insights and expertise from their respective fields, as did Singapore.
Jayantha Wijesinghe- Conservationist: The Time for Action is Now. Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads. The problems facing its elephants, wildlife, and street dogs are not unsolvable—they require political will, scientific insight, and coordinated implementation. Proven global models are readily available. The question is whether the government will act before more animal and human lives are needlessly lost.
Dr. Ranil Senanayake - Chairman, Earthrestoration P/L: A Humane Approach to Wildlife Management. With regards to monkeys, their behaviour of establishing territories makes it possible to control their impact by population reduction without resorting to culling. “Culling or killing a part of the population is abhorrent, and more so in Sri Lanka with the social value placed on ‘AHIMSA’ or not taking life. Thus, we have the opportunity to demonstrate a different way. The human birth control pill used in animal experiments in the late 1930s demonstrated that high-dose progesterone could arrest ovulation. The massive animal tests that followed to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of the birth control pill were conducted on none other than our Resus monkeys! Thus, establishing feeding stations with food laced with human birth control powder will rapidly reduce populations. Should not the people with a mandate of managing wildlife begin work on humane population control methods rather than just mouthing violent knee jerk reactions? This strategy offers a peaceful and effective alternative to the current reliance on violence or the distribution of firearms to rural communities ”.
0 Comments