Sri Lanka seeks World Bank assistance for elephant conservation

Sri Lanka has sought assistance from the World Bank for the conservation of its wild elephant population, an official said here on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka boasts 6,000 wild elephants. It is a major tourist attraction in the island nation.
Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department W.S.K. Pathiratne told Xinhua that another countrywide census would be conducted at the end of the year to estimate the total number of jumbos in the wild. The last was conducted in 2011.

"We found 5789 elephants in the wild. It is a high number. It might have increased by now," he said.
Wild elephants are scattered throughout the country. But they are found mostly in the dry zone forests.

"With the increase of the number, the country also faces the increased incidence of human-elephant conflict. We have worked out a plan for the conservation of elephants while protecting human habitats as well," he said.

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