Wild elephants roam across vast areas and may remain unseen for months, a senior official from the Department of Wildlife Conservation has told the Daily Mirror.
The official said the fact that Mahasen, the elephant whose whereabouts have raised public concern, has not been sighted for the past three months does not necessarily mean the animal has come to harm.
The remarks came in response to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s statement in Parliament yesterday regarding the elephant’s disappearance.
According to the official, wild elephants do not remain within confined areas but travel many kilometres a day, either in herds or individually. Some elephants may go unseen for months before being spotted again.
The official added that wildlife authorities had received no information indicating that Mahasen was in danger.
“Following the death of the elephant Kavantissa, and in light of the emotional posts and videos circulating on social media, the public has become highly sensitive regarding elephants,” the official said.
He noted that the Department of Wildlife Conservation had limited staff and could not continuously monitor every individual animal solely in response to public concerns.
Meanwhile, at the request of the Ministry of Environment, the armed forces and other security services have been deployed in several parts of the country to assist wildlife officers in rescuing elephants facing dangerous situations, including Mahasen.
The Ministry also stated that a baby elephant rescued from the Wewalketiya area in Anuradhapura had been taken to the Pandulagama Veterinary Unit for treatment before being transferred to the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home for rehabilitation.
Wildlife officers are also monitoring an approximately seven-year-old elephant stranded in the Gallaella area of Polonnaruwa. Authorities have also drawn attention to another elephant calf stranded in the Samanthurai area.
