Last night Six elephants, including two young calves, lost their lives after being hit by the Meena Gaya train between Gal Oya and Minneriya, resulting in a derailment. Two other elephants sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.
⭕ This area is known as an elephant crossing ⚠️, and there are warning signs everywhere. What was the speed of the train, and was the driver intoxicated? These matters need to be thoroughly investigated and treated as seriously as if a person had been hit by the train.
⭕ A very similar incident occurred a year and a half ago on the same route. These incidents have become too frequent, and it is mind-boggling why the government & the authorities is not taking any effective measures to stop these incidents from happening.
⭕️ In the past decade, over 100 elephants have suffered the same fate. This needs to change.
⭕️ These accidents frequently occur along specific stretches in Polonnaruwa and Habarana, particularly the Habarana-Galoya, Galoya-Kantale, and Galoya-Minneriya routes. This region is renowned as an elephant territory, with several parks like Minneriya, Kaudulla, and Flood Plains known for their elephant populations.
⭕️ Various solutions, such as electronic fencing, visual lighting effects, infrasonic & ultrasonic repulsive technologies, and the construction of underpasses and overpasses, have been proposed but remain unimplemented.
⭕️ These incidents should not be taken lightly. Every elephant’s death is a significant blow to Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. According to estimates, a wild elephant is worth $11 million to the country if allowed to live its full span of life.
From the X account of Numbers.lk @numberslka