Federation of Environmental Organisations responds to Yala incident

Wednesday, 21 August 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The following is a statement by the Federation of Environmental Organisations (http://www.feosl.org/) with regard to the recent incident of firing of an automatic rifle in Yala National Park by a member of the armed forces at an elephant. A National Park is an exclusive space set aside for the conservation of wildlife. Therefore the protection, safety and wellbeing of wildlife within the parks are paramount and remain the primary purpose. National Parks are also national assets. Visitation should be considered a privilege. Visitors must respect this privilege

Regrettably, with the rapid development and emphasis on wildlife tourism, there is an increasing trend where adherence to rules and regulations that govern visitation are not followed. Indiscipline among visitors and tour service providers is rising. A recent incident in the Yala National Park that related to Gemunu, an adult tusker, illustrates the broader and very serious ramifications of unchecked visitation. Gemunu grew up in Yala and has become habituated to visitors who began to feed it, despite this practice being strictly prohibited under park rules. Gemunu has now begun to aggressively approach vehicles in search of food, creating a potentially dangerous situation for both visitors and the elephant. The incident in July 2013 as posted on YouTube by a visitor who was witness, shows a jeep service driver, unaccompanied by a Department of Wildlife Conservation guide, drive up to Gemunu. The elephant then inserts its entire head into the jeep, which is almost at a point where it can topple over. Panicked foreign tourists disembark from the vehicle, placing themselves at greater risk of being attacked and killed by a wild elephant. Then, on 17 August 2013, vehicles exiting the national park at 6 p.m. encountered Gemunu beside the main road. It is reported that over 20 tour jeeps were present. The drivers who were accustomed to Gemunu’s behaviour gave it a wide berth and exited the area quickly. However, a few vehicles stopped, to provide the tourist clients with “their last thrill on safari”. Gemunu started rummaging in the vehicles for food. On this occasion, however, a ranking army officer and entourage, on duty supervising the Pada Yatra pilgrimage through the park, were amidst this melee. Photographs and video taken during this incident clearly shows a soldier, disembarked from the vehicle, firing at least one shot, possibly driving off the elephant. The Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance clearly states that under no circumstances should a service weapon be discharged in a National Park at a wild animal, unless by a member of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Therefore the incident is a clear violation of national park laws. The FEO also questions why the Department of Wildlife Conservation permitted members of the armed forces who entered the national park as visitors to carry weapons. The FEO urges the Minister of Wildlife Conservation to: 1. Expedite measures to curb visitor related infractions in National Parks. 2. Empower the Department of Wildlife to enforce the park regulations and rules. 3. Together with the relevant line ministries and stakeholders develop a sustainable visitation plan for National Parks. Some methods to consider for achieving this end may be to have: nA regulated road route network and a habitat management plan that will specifically target dispersing the visitors rather than concentrating them in particular areas. n Divide the park into sections where only one area at a time is visited, giving all an equal opportunity of observing high value animals in each section. The FEO strongly believes that such incidents are the outcomes of unplanned, unregulated and irresponsible tourism that threatens the protected areas of Sri Lanka.