A news report in the last issue of The Sunday Island made reference to an increase of the elephant population in the Mahaweli area in the last few years. This appeared to have been backed by statistics from an elephant census conducted a few days previously. I happened to be in Minneriya the day after.

To conservationists, of which I happen to be a silent one, apart from being a long-standing member of a society, this trend was known over the last few years. Once a badly threatened species, it has now probably become a less threatened one. For how long, it is difficult to predict.

The first Warden of our Wildlife Department in an administrative report in the 1950s wrote: "Their present number probably does not exceed 1000. How near or how distant this figure is from the biological minimum below which breeding ceases and extension follows, nobody knows". The point I am trying to make is that complacency is the last thing that should get into our heads at this time.

The human-elephant conflict is a man-made one. It is encouraging that the ministry is interested in transforming this conflict into co-existence. Most villagers that I have come across accept this. Those who have not yet accepted this proposition should be educated and converted, highlighting the role they play in our society, in taking a lead role in labour, religious festivals, tourism to name a few. There are a few people who would not like to be educated, - the tusk hunter. They should be handled differently.

The purpose of this letter is to suggest a way of expanding their dwindling habitat. I remember some years ago, an article written by Thilo Hoffmann, former President of the WL&NPS, probably to the ‘Loris’, the magazine of the society titled "Bring back the elephants". The reference was to Horton Plains. This is a worthwhile consideration, particularly, in the present context. This, of course, cannot be done in a hurry as it involves a detailed feasibility study, dealing with, among other matters, the number to be so ‘brought back’, their food supply, the geographical area, safety of the narrow, winding access roads which could be protected by electrified fences, and also the genetic impact of reproduction within a closed herd.

I would also add Sinharaja forest reserve as a possible site for habitat expansion and diversification.

In passing, I should briefly mention the plight of the Somawathie Chaitya Sanctuary. I have known this area since 1964. Today, it is a depressing site. How many miles of the much spoken of and written about ‘Jungle River’ will be left in a few years.

As a student, I used to travel by train and used to admire the huge posters pasted on waiting room walls with drawings of elephants and the banner title, ‘Your Culture, Your Heritage and the Colourful Splendour of Your Jungles’.

Now in my old age, I look back and wonder how much of all this is still left.

Finally, please conserve for future generations.