Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation, K.D. Lalkantha, has announced that he will receive the report from the recent wildlife census tomorrow (March 28).
Speaking to the media in Kandy, Minister Lalkantha stated that the report will be used to formulate effective measures for managing wild animals in Sri Lanka.
He emphasized that the report may not be entirely accurate and noted the importance of conducting further censuses in the future to gather more precise data.
“There is no established program for wildlife management. The Wildlife Department is responsible for protecting animals, not managing them. A census is necessary for wildlife management. For example, Australia monitors its kangaroo population through regular censuses. However, we lack similar information about our monkey population in Sri Lanka. Therefore, obtaining a rough estimate is essential,” Minister Lalkantha explained.
He also noted that the findings of the census could help determine whether the wildlife population is being effectively managed or if animals are being exported to foreign countries.
“Through this process, we can arrive at a scientific solution. Such an initiative has not been taken before, but we have now started this program. The initial steps may not meet all the requirements, but they provide a foundation upon which proper wildlife management measures can be built,” he added.
The island-wide wildlife census was conducted on March 15th to identify animals causing damage to crops and affecting the agricultural sector.
