July 27, Colombo (LNW): The Department of Forest Conservation has initiated a focused investigation into the suspected presence and use of firearms within protected forest reserves, following a worrying surge in shootings involving wild animals—particularly elephants.
According to Chandima Palamakumbura, Director General of Forest Conservation, the department has dispatched multiple regional teams to look into reports of illegal hunting activity and the unauthorised carrying of firearms in conservation areas.
The probe aims to uncover the sources of these weapons, identify those responsible, and strengthen enforcement mechanisms within Sri Lanka’s forested regions.
The initiative comes amid growing alarm from conservationists and environmental groups, who have condemned the rising number of incidents involving gun violence against wildlife.
The killings of elephants—many of which are protected under national legislation—have sparked renewed calls for stricter surveillance and harsher penalties for offenders.
Forest authorities have vowed to treat the issue with urgency, noting that protecting biodiversity and maintaining the ecological balance of the country’s forests is a national priority.
