COLOMBO, Sept 8 (ePRESS) – The Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS) has urged the Department of Railways to act faster in reducing elephant deaths on railway tracks, warning that the crisis is worsening despite corporate efforts.
Jehna CanagaRetna, Past President of WNPS and Chair of the Human-Elephant Coexistence Subcommittee, said the Railway Department has been slow to take effective action. “Each time a General Manager changes, irrespective of which government is in power, projects that were started get stalled,” he told reporters while opening a public photography exhibition at Havelock City Mall on Monday.
The exhibition, organised by Spa Ceylon and its conservation arm Ceylon Elephant Co. together with WNPS, runs until Thursday. It is part of the Majestic Ceylon Elephant Photography Competition & Exhibition, which invited the public to capture the beauty of Sri Lanka’s elephants through DSLR and mobile photography.
Sri Lanka has lost over 3,400 elephants in the last decade, with nearly 240 deaths already recorded in 2025. “The elephant is a keystone of our ecosystems and heritage. In tourism, it is worth around Rs. 20 million in the value chain,” CanagaRetna said.
Spa Ceylon, the world’s largest Luxury Ayurveda chain, said its Ceylon Elephant range is dedicated entirely to conservation. “At Spa Ceylon, we believe conservation is not the responsibility of a few, but a shared duty of all,” said Co-Founder and Group Director Shalin Balasuriya. “We are committed to raising awareness on the Human-Elephant Conflict and supporting efforts that bring communities together.”
The organisers said the initiative aims to highlight the importance of protecting elephants while also pressuring state bodies to do more.
