Threats
Ivory trade in Sri Lanka had a very long history for more than 2000 years. During the Colonial rule in 19th century and early 20th century many bull elephants were killed by trophy hunters. Major Thomas Rogers is credited with having shot over 1,500 elephants. This works out to an average of one elephant being killed by him every day for four years. Two others, Captain Galleway and Major Skinner are reputed to have shot half that number each. Many other ‘sportsmen' have shot in the region of 250-300 animals during this time. At the turn of the twentieth century, the area currently known as Ruhuna National Park was the Resident Sportsman's shooting reserve, a wild country reserved for the sporting pleasure of British residents in Sri Lanka.
During the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, elephants were maimed or killed by land mines. Between 1990 and 1993, a total of 165 wild elephants died as a result of gunshot injuries. In 1994, at least 96 elephants were killed by poachers or land mines, and up to twenty elephants have fallen victims to land mines and been crippled.
Today, given the rarity of tuskers in Sri Lanka, ivory poaching is not a major conservation issue. Nevertheless, some trade in ivory still goes on. Kandy has been identified as the centre for such illegal trade. The greatest threat to elephants comes from an expanding human population and its demand for land. Loss of significant extents of elephant range to development continues currently, with a number of irrigation and development projects leading to the conversion of more elephant ranges to irrigated agriculture and settlements.
Between 1999 to the end of 2006 every year nearly 100 wild elephants were killed. Elephants are killed to protect crops and houses. Other threats are poaching, deforestation, drought and starvation. During drought seasons many elephants damage agricultural land for food. Nearly 80 elephants were killed in north western Sri Lanka, 50 in south and east, and another 30 in other parts of the country, totaling 160 elephant deaths in 2006 alone.
Read more about this topic: Sri Lankan Elephant
Famous quotes containing the word threats:
“Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come to us again. All Americans understand the basic lessons of history: that we need to be resolute and able to protect ourselves, to prevent threats and domination by others.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
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—Bernadette Devlin (b. 1947)
“Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 3:14.
John the Baptist to Soldiers.