• DWC cites staffing constraints and operational limits in responding to multiple incidents
• DG says complaints will be investigated and action taken if warranted

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has rejected allegations that its officers deliberately fail to respond to incidents of wild elephants entering villages, saying practical limitations and staffing shortages often prevent officers from attending to multiple locations at the same time.

Responding to allegations made by the Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government, Prof. Chandana Abeyrathna, Director General of the DWC, Ranjan Marasinghe said that an investigation could not be initiated based on a general statement alone. He noted that specific details of the incidents referred to by the Minister would be required to take any necessary action.

Addressing claims that wildlife officers ignore calls from affected villagers, he said that there is no purposeful negligence on the part of the Department. He explained that in many areas, a single wildlife range or field office is responsible for several villages simultaneously. “If officers are already deployed in one village responding to an elephant intrusion, it is not practically or physically possible for them to answer telephone calls or attend another location at the same time,” he said.

Marasinghe emphasised that the DWC’s hotline, 1992, operates 24 hours a day and is accessible to the public at all times. He said that all complaints received through the hotline are recorded in an electronic system, enabling follow-ups on the progress of each incident. “If the complainant requests feedback, they will be informed of the outcome. The only limitation is that when the hotline is busy, callers may have to redial. Otherwise, the service functions around the clock,” he added.

He also acknowledged that the DWC does not have dedicated rapid-response teams specifically for areas affected by human–elephant conflict (HEC). Marasinghe explained that the Department’s original mandate focused on the management of protected areas, rather than responding to HEC incidents. “When HEC became a major issue, we had to redeploy wildlife officers to villages to handle HEC-related matters, while continuing our responsibilities related to protected area management."

At present, the DWC has around 880 wildlife field officers across the country to address HEC-related issues, a number he described as inadequate given the scale of the problem. "While institutions such as the Civil Security Department (CSD), with a manpower of around 3,000, assist with activities such as repairing and maintaining electric fences, only DWC officers, namely guards and rangers, are legally authorised to drive elephants away from human settlements and to enforce provisions of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO).

Marasinghe further noted that scientific studies indicate that wild elephants roam across approximately 60% to 70% of Sri Lanka’s land area, while only about 30% of the land falls under the jurisdiction of the DWC and the Forest Department. “A wide range of development activities, including road construction, solar power projects, and agricultural cultivation, take place within this 70% of land that elephants move through. This makes HEC a complex, multi-faceted issue involving several authorities, and it cannot be resolved by the DWC alone,” he said.

Prof. Abeyrathna recently accused wildlife officers of failing to take timely action against wild elephants entering villages and of not responding to telephone calls made to wildlife offices. The allegations were made on 4 January during the Puttalam District Special Disaster Management Committee meeting held under the Minister’s patronage, with the participation of local residents.