Call for Humane, Scientific Animal Policies in Sri Lanka
Colombo, Sri Lanka – July 23, 2025 – In a unified appeal, Buddhist clergy, animal welfare activists, and corporate representatives urged the Sri Lankan government to adopt evidence-based, humane, and sustainable policies to safeguard the nation’s animals and natural environment.
Addressing the Elephant Crisis
Venerable Pagoda Janithawansha Thero highlighted the escalating Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), noting that 44% of Sri Lanka’s land is shared by humans and elephants. Despite past failures to confine elephants to protected zones, the Thero, citing conservation expert Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando, stressed that community-managed electric fencing is a globally proven solution to reduce confrontations. He underscored the urgency by revealing tragic statistics: nearly 600 elephants died between 2015 and 2024, mostly due to HEC, with 224 deaths already recorded in 2025.
Reforming Street Dog Management
The gathering also addressed Sri Lanka’s persistent street dog population issue. While the “catch and kill” policy was replaced in 2006 with sterilization, vaccination, and return-to-territory, implementation has been hampered by unregulated breeding, the dumping of unwanted litters, and a lack of clear government accountability. A past survey showed 46% of street dogs in Colombo were owned but allowed to roam.
In contrast, countries like Singapore, Bhutan, and India have achieved significant success through coordinated sterilization programs, demonstrating that a humane approach can drastically reduce street dog populations. Sri Lanka’s 2006 commitment to sterilize one million dogs failed due to poor resources and coordination. Experts believe that sterilizing 400,000 female dogs over two years could resolve the problem within a single parliamentary term.
Humane Wildlife Management
Environmental scientist Dr. Ranil Senanayake proposed non-violent methods for managing human-monkey conflict, particularly in agricultural areas. Instead of culling, he advocated for feeding stations with high-dose progesterone-laced food to curb reproduction in primates, aligning with Sri Lanka’s Buddhist principle of ahimsa (non-violence).
Conclusion: The Time for Action is Now
Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads. The problems facing its elephants, wildlife, and street dogs, are not unsolvable—they require political will, scientific insight, and coordinated implementation. Proven global models are readily available. The question is whether the government will act before more animal and human lives are needlessly lost.
Participants included:
Venerable Pagoda Janithawansha Thero, Venerable Kumbiyagoda Meththananda Thero, Venerable Thammannagama Mahanama, Venerable Urawula Sekara Thero, Sharmini Ratnayake (Animal Welfare Trust), Dr. Krishanthi Rondon Fuentes (Animal Wellness Trust), Anusha David (RAS), representatives from Animal SOS, Shilpa Samaratunge (Tails of Freedom), Attorney-at-Law Thanuja Navaratne, Iromi Salgado (AWPA), Rehan Samarakone – KOTTE ANIMAL WELFARE , Madri Jayasekera (Justice for Animals), Rukshan Jayawardene (environmentalist), Dr. Ranil Senanayake (Chairman, Earthrestoration P/L), and Jayantha Wijesinghe- Conservationist.
