Director General of Wildlife Conservation Ranjan Marasinghe has defended the department’s efforts to protect iconic tusker Kavantissa, who died after receiving treatment for a gunshot injury, saying the elephant was over 45 years old and approaching the latter stages of his natural lifespan.
Responding to questions about the department’s failure to prevent attacks on the animal, Marasinghe said wild elephants generally live for around 50 to 60 years.
“We estimate that this elephant was over 45 years old. In the wild, elephants generally live for a maximum of 50 to 60 years. In human terms, he was like an 80-year-old person,” he said.
Marasinghe rejected suggestions that wildlife authorities had completely failed to protect the tusker, arguing that the animal had survived for more than four decades under the existing conservation system.
“We have protected this animal for all these years. If someone says this was a complete failure, I cannot accept that. Keeping an elephant protected for around 45 years is itself a significant achievement,” he said.
The Wildlife Director General was also questioned about why Sri Lanka had not introduced special protection programmes for iconic tuskers, similar to conservation initiatives for Africa’s super tuskers.
He said the department’s responsibility extended beyond individual elephants, noting that threats such as gunshot injuries affected the wider elephant population.
“The threats faced by this elephant are faced by other elephants as well. Our objective is to protect the entire elephant population,” he said.
Responding to questions about GPS tracking collars, Marasinghe said the department had previously attempted to introduce collars for more than 100 elephants but encountered practical difficulties.
He explained that fitting tracking collars requires tranquilising elephants, a procedure that could pose health risks, particularly for older animals.
Kavantissa died on October 16 after receiving veterinary treatment for several weeks following a reported gunshot injury to his front leg.
His death has prompted calls from environmentalists and opposition politicians for an independent investigation into the shooting, the treatment provided and the circumstances surrounding his death.
The death of Kavantissa has raised questions over the measures taken to protect prominent wild elephants, particularly those known to face threats from human activity.
Environmentalists have called for an independent investigation to determine who was responsible for shooting the tusker and whether sufficient steps were taken to safeguard him before his death.
Marasinghe maintained that wildlife authorities had made every possible effort to protect the animal, while acknowledging the challenges involved in monitoring and protecting Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population. (Newswire)
The post “Kavantissa was like an 80-year-old human”: Wildlife DG defends protection efforts appeared first on Newswire.