Sajith Calls for Special Task Force and Wildlife Hospital to Safeguard Sri Lanka's Dwindling Tusker Population

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has put forward a series of proposals aimed at protecting Sri Lanka's rapidly declining population of wild tuskers, calling on the government to establish a dedicated special task force and a specialised wildlife hospital to address the growing crisis facing these iconic animals.

A Nation's Natural Heritage Under Threat

Sri Lanka's tuskers — male elephants bearing prominent ivory tusks — are considered a rare and treasured part of the island's natural and cultural heritage. Their numbers have been falling steadily in recent years, raising alarm among conservationists, wildlife authorities, and the general public alike.

Premadasa, the leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action to reverse this trend, warning that without immediate intervention, Sri Lanka risks losing these magnificent creatures altogether.

Key Proposals Put Forward

The Opposition Leader outlined two central pillars of his proposed conservation framework:

• The formation of a specialised task force dedicated exclusively to the protection and monitoring of tuskers across the island's national parks and wildlife reserves.
• The establishment of a fully equipped wildlife hospital capable of providing medical care and rehabilitation to injured or ailing tuskers and other endangered wildlife.

Broader Conservation Concerns

Premadasa's proposals come against the backdrop of escalating human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka, which has claimed the lives of both people and elephants in recent years. Poaching, habitat destruction, and inadequate veterinary resources have further compounded the threat to the tusker population.

Wildlife experts have long argued that Sri Lanka's existing conservation infrastructure is insufficient to cope with the scale of the challenge, and that dedicated facilities and enforcement mechanisms are long overdue.

The Opposition Leader's intervention is expected to add renewed political momentum to calls for comprehensive wildlife protection legislation and increased state investment in conservation programmes across the country.