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| Pic credits - Maneshka Borham |
‘The Palmyra solution’ is now being presented as the answer which will put an end to this long-standing conflict. Using indigenous knowledge Janathakshan, a non-profit company along with the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute and the Palmyra Development board aims to grow Palmyra trees as a bio fence that will keep elephants at bay from human settlements. These fences will supposedly replace the electric fences which are currently in operation in the future.
Encroaching
From ancient times elephants have been revered and held sacred in Sri Lanka. They have been used in religious pageants such as the famous Kandy Esala Perahera where a selected tusker would carry the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Lord Buddha.
The Asian elephant is the second largest land animal in the world and their numbers over the past few decades have plummeted in Southern and South-east Asia.
Along with the growth of civilization the demand for human settlements and agricultural lands has increased dramatically. Due to this reason there has been vast clearing of forest covers and habitat of the elephants causing the conflict between human and elephants that we see today. Elephants who only have knowledge of geographical boundaries as opposed to those set by humans end up encroaching on the land now occupied people. While westerners see elephants as gentle giants they have instilled fear in those who share their land while destroying hectares of crops. Professor in Zoology of the University of Colombo Dewaka Weerakoon puts down the issue to the slash and burn cultivation method adopted by humans.
As statistics show since the year 1950, 1,375 human deaths and 4,225 elephant deaths have occurred due to this conflict. Going by this an average 50 human and 160 elephant deaths occur annually. Death occurring due to this tussle between humans and elephants is one of the most reported disasters in Sri Lanka during the last decade and it also accounts for the highest death rate.
While the issue affects people socially as well as economically resulting in humans abandoning settlements, it brings death to elephants and orphaning of elephant cubs.
The problem is so far reaching that out of 25 districts in the country 18 of them suffer from it.
Way out
The Palmyra solution will see four rows of Palmyra trees being planted in a zigzag pattern with five feet gaps between the trees and eight feet gaps between the rows. Based on perennial practice of villagers and knowledge the non-profit company behind the venture Janathakshan claims this mechanism is a permanent solution to the issue.
Strategically planted in affected areas the rows will act as a shield by blocking the entrance of elephants in to human populated areas in search for food.
“This solution is the most environmentally-friendly, economically viable solution which will give benefit to both humans and elephants,” stated Director of Janathakshan Ranasinghe Perera.
He also pointed out the tree’s resilience and sturdiness which will be able to withstand any onslaught by an elephant. The Palmyra fence supposedly has a lifespan of 80 – 100 years and is extremely cost-effective as Palmyra seeds can be found easily in the country. The Palmyra fence could also generate income to the community as the plant is said to have medicinal values and many other products could be manufactured using parts of the tree. Palmyra is also said to be a quality timber source.
A pilot project carried out in the Kumbukoya village which saw the planting of a 1km bio fence has been successful in keeping elephants out.
However, there will be no quick fixing of the issue by this solution. The electrical fence will have to remain as the trees will take around 2-3 years to grow. And it will only be after eight years that the electrical fences can be dismantled. While a life span of an electrical fence is 12 years, the communities will have to maintain it till the trees grow in order to protect them from getting destroyed.
Speaking to The Nation, Environmentalist and Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena was of the opinion that any bio fence would not work if the many reason for this issue is the destruction of the elephants’ habitat by humans. “Such a bio fence will have to be enforced along with enrichment of the habitat in order to work,” he stated. While the tree is resilient, there is also a possibility of the trees not growing in wet lands he further stated.
“There is no one silver bullet to solve this problem,” stated Professor Dewaka Weerakoon and claimed humans will have to be one step ahead in order to outsmart this magnificent animal.
Tested
Over the years other various methods have been tested such as digging vast ditches around villages, growing of cacti and bougainvillea, chilli and tobacco-based deterrents, growing crops that elephants don’t like and the currently accepted one of fixing electric fences.
Electric fences act as physical and psychological barriers for the animals, while being safe than barbed wire or woven wire fences. They can also be installed quickly and in a short time period.
However, they can be extremely costly to install and maintain. While in many instances elephants found a way to bypass these fences. Therefore, they have proved not to be effective.
Will the Palmyra solution be, in fact, the final answer we have been searching for to this Human-Elephant conflict? Only time will tell.
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