Electric fence not an obstruction to the Elephants

Farmers say that the electrical fence which has been built for the protection of the farming community and farming villages of Matale District have been broken by elephants.

Farmers said that this situation has arisen due to the electrical fence built by the government to manage the elephants coming to villages in search of food from Vasgamuwa and Minneriya National parks. Due to construction of the Moragahakanda reservoir, traditional elephant paths have changed. An electrical fence has been built by spending millions of rupees to control the elephants living in the park and preventing them going out of the Vasgamuwa National Park as six villages went under water in the Naula Divisional Secretary’s Division.

The batteries used for the electrical fence have been robbed several times. Due to this situation, disconnecting of the electrical fence, the elephants are coming to villages, the farmers said. In the meantime, Wildlife Officer Ranjith K. Vijitha in Elahera said, the people who travel in this area should pay special attention as the herd of elephants of more than 100 are roaming the Moragahakanda area.

Ambana Farmers Association said recently that their cultivations have been destroyed due to the wild elephants coming to their villages. When we inquired from the wildlife office, Mr. Ranjith said that they are continuing their operation to chase away the elephants.

In addition to this, he said that they are distributing elephant crackers among the villagers and launching awareness programes for the villagers.


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