Sri Lanka delays wildlife survey results amid data concerns
- Sri Lanka's Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakodi announced a review of a nationwide wildlife survey due to concerns about unrealistic data from farmers.
- The survey aimed to assess the impact of wildlife on agriculture, particularly the damage caused by wild boar, monkeys, and peacocks, which is significant.
- Critics have labeled the survey a failure, reflecting deeper challenges in managing wildlife-related crop destruction effectively.
In Sri Lanka, the government is currently reviewing the results of a nationwide wildlife survey due to concerns regarding the accuracy of the data collected. Conducted on March 15, officials revealed that some reported figures, particularly from farmers regarding the destruction of crops by wildlife, appeared extraordinarily high and exaggerated. Deputy Environment Minister Anton Jayakodi stated that the preliminary data collected indicated abnormalities that warranted further investigation before final results could be disclosed. The survey aimed to understand the size and impact of crop-destroying wildlife, such as monkeys, peacocks, and wild boar, and to inform a national action plan. However, elephants, significant threats to agriculture, were not included in the survey due to their protected status. Farmers expressed frustration over wildlife damage, which is reported to destroy over a third of crops, and the government previously suggested exporting certain monkey species, which was later abandoned after public backlash. Critics, including opposition politicians, labeled the survey as ineffective and a waste of resources. Meanwhile, the situation highlights broader agricultural challenges faced by farmers in Sri Lanka, as these wildlife encounters complicate their livelihoods.