COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will establish a joint operations center involving wildlife authorities and the armed forces to strengthen elephant protection and address human-elephant conflict, the country's Ministry of Environment has announced.
The center will be based at Army Headquarters and will include wildlife officers, veterinarians and personnel from the three armed forces.
Authorities also plan to deploy special military teams in high-risk areas to monitor elephants considered vulnerable and track their movement routes.
The initiative will also focus on preventing elephant killings, the use of explosive bait known locally as "hakka patas," and other wildlife crimes through intensified joint raids. - Xinhua
