Wildlife Dept did all it could to save Kavantissa, DG says

The Department of Wildlife Conservation did everything possible to protect and save iconic tusker Kavantissa, who died on Friday (Oct. 16) after receiving weeks of veterinary treatment for a gunshot injury, Director General Ranjan Marasinghe said.

Responding to criticism over the failure to prevent attacks on the elephant, Marasinghe said Kavantissa was estimated to be more than 45 years old and was approaching the latter stages of his natural lifespan.

“Wild elephants generally live for around 50 to 60 years. In human terms, this elephant was like an 80-year-old person,” he said.

Marasinghe rejected claims that the Wildlife Department had completely failed to protect the tusker, saying the elephant had survived for more than four decades under the country’s existing conservation system.

“We have protected this animal for all these years. If someone says this was a complete failure, I cannot accept that. Keeping an elephant protected for around 45 years is itself a significant achievement,” he said.

He said the department’s responsibility was not limited to individual elephants but extended to protecting the entire wild elephant population, which faces similar threats from human activity.

“The threats faced by this elephant are faced by other elephants as well. Our objective is to protect the entire elephant population,” Marasinghe said.

He was also questioned on why Sri Lanka had not introduced special protection programmes for iconic tuskers, similar to initiatives aimed at protecting Africa’s super tuskers.

Marasinghe said the department had previously attempted to use GPS tracking collars on more than 100 elephants but faced practical difficulties.

Fitting a GPS collar requires an elephant to be tranquilised, he explained, warning that the procedure could pose health risks, particularly to older animals.

Kavantissa died on October 16 after receiving veterinary treatment for several weeks following a reported gunshot injury to his front leg.

His death has triggered calls from environmentalists and opposition politicians for an independent investigation into the shooting, the treatment he received and the circumstances surrounding his death.

Environmentalists have also questioned whether adequate measures were taken to safeguard the prominent tusker, particularly given the threats posed to wild elephants by human activity.

Marasinghe maintained that wildlife authorities had made every possible effort to save Kavantissa, while acknowledging the difficulties involved in monitoring and protecting Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population.