Sri Lanka, an island nation globally recognized for its rich biodiversity and high density of endemic species, is currently grappling with a multifaceted crisis within its wildlife protected areas. Approximately 14% of the country’s total landmass is designated as protected territory, encompassing more than 20 national parks and numerous nature reserves. These areas serve as the final strongholds for iconic species such as the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) and the Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus). However, a combination of historical encroachment, ecological shifts, and the looming threat of an intense El Niño cycle is placing unprecedented pressure on these fragile ecosystems.
As the nation prepares for a significant El Niño event expected to peak in late 2024 and early 2025, conservationists and wildlife authorities are sounding the alarm. The intersection of shrinking habitats and extreme weather patterns threatens not only the survival of individual species but also the stability of a tourism-driven economy that relies heavily on the visibility of megafauna in their natural habitats.
A Century of Encroachment: The Struggle for Boundaries
The history of land use in Sri Lanka is a complex narrative of colonial-era policy, post-independence agricultural expansion, and the fallout of a decades-long armed conflict. While modern conservation efforts are robust, they are often hindered by decisions made decades ago. According to Srinath Dissanayake, a wildlife ranger with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), the roots of today’s encroachment issues can be traced back to the mid-20th century.
Most of the country’s nature reserves were originally demarcated under the Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) No. 2 of 1937. However, the actual enforcement of these boundaries has fluctuated based on the political and social climate of the time. Dissanayake notes that significant encroachments occurred during the 1950s and 1960s, a period characterized by aggressive state-sponsored agricultural resettlement programs.
The situation became particularly acute in the Northern and Eastern provinces, where the 26-year armed conflict, which ended in May 2009, created a vacuum in wildlife management. During the war, many protected areas were inaccessible to DWC officials. Following the cessation of hostilities, the government faced the monumental task of resettling thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs). This humanitarian necessity often clashed with conservation goals, leading to deforestation and the construction of roads and housing within or adjacent to protected areas like Wilpattu National Park.
In recent years, the DWC has intensified efforts to reclaim these lands. While court-ordered evictions have been successful in some instances, officials acknowledge that reclaiming land is only the first step. Restoring a commercialized or agricultural plot to its natural state is a slow, multi-year process of forest regeneration that requires constant monitoring to prevent re-encroachment.
The Grassland Crisis: When Nature Changes Course
Beyond human interference, a more subtle threat is emerging from within the parks themselves: the natural succession of habitats. A comprehensive study conducted between 2005 and 2019 at Udawalawe National Park revealed a troubling trend for the island’s herbivores. The research, co-authored by Mayuri Wijesinghe, a senior professor at the University of Colombo, found that while forest and scrub coverage increased, vital grasslands significantly decreased.
This shift is largely attributed to natural succession. Without active management, open grasslands naturally evolve into scrubland and eventually into dry-zone forests. For Sri Lanka’s elephants, which depend on grass for up to 70% of their dietary needs, this loss of grazing land is catastrophic.
"Grasslands are required for elephants and many other herbivores," Professor Wijesinghe explained. "If a habitat is left unattended, it progresses toward becoming a forest. If we want to keep elephants inside the national parks and away from human settlements, we must ensure that grasslands remain as grasslands."
The disappearance of these open spaces is a primary driver of the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), a crisis that claims the lives of hundreds of elephants and dozens of humans annually. When the "pantry" of the national park is replaced by unpalatable scrub, elephants are forced to raid nearby agricultural crops, leading to fatal encounters. Experts suggest that "prescribed burning"—the controlled application of fire before the rainy season to stimulate new grass growth—and the aggressive removal of invasive alien species are essential interventions that the DWC must scale up to maintain ecological balance.
The El Niño Threat: A Looming Climatic Emergency
Adding to these structural and ecological challenges is the immediate threat of El Niño. This climate pattern, characterized by the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean, historically brings severe drought conditions to the Indian Ocean region, including Sri Lanka’s dry zone.
Environmentalist Palitha Wickramaratne warns that the current heat levels are already testing the limits of wildlife in the southern parks, particularly Yala National Park. While droughts are a cyclical reality for Sri Lanka—with severe occurrences recorded in 2001, 2012, and 2016—the intensity of the upcoming cycle is a major cause for concern.
During the 2016 drought, the DWC and volunteer groups were forced to intervene manually, using water bowsers to fill parched natural water holes and clearing silted tanks to access groundwater. The Menik Ganga Diversion project, including the Weheragala Reservoir, provides some relief to the Yala catchment area, but during extreme droughts, even these sources can dwindle to dangerous levels.
Wickramaratne suggests that during peak drought periods, the DWC should consider closing high-traffic areas, such as Yala Block I, to the public. This would allow animals to move freely toward remaining water sources without the added stress of safari jeep congestion and human noise.
The Economic Imperative of Conservation
The management of national parks is not merely a matter of environmental ethics; it is a cornerstone of the Sri Lankan economy. In 2025, the island welcomed nearly 2.4 million international visitors, generating approximately $3.2 billion in tourism revenue. A significant portion of these tourists visits specifically for wildlife safaris.
The economic value of a single wild elephant is staggering. A 2022 study by sustainability professional Srilal Miththapala estimated that a single wild elephant contributes roughly 4.5 million Sri Lankan rupees ($27,000) annually to the economy through tourism-related activities. When these animals become emaciated due to drought or are killed in human-wildlife conflicts, the country loses a vital economic asset.
The DWC is currently caught between the need to protect these assets and the scientific philosophy of "natural selection." Ranjan Marasinghe, Director General of the DWC, acknowledges the public’s desire for intervention but emphasizes the need for a balanced approach.
"Wild animals develop a ruggedness during drought conditions that is required to strike a balance in the ecosystem," Marasinghe stated. He noted that droughts often act as a natural check on populations that might otherwise overgraze the land, such as wild buffalo. However, he confirmed that the DWC is preparing for the El Niño peak by repairing irrigation systems and readying water bowsers for emergency situations.
Strategic Responses and the Path Forward
As the November El Niño window approaches, the DWC has announced plans to increase patrols and law enforcement. Droughts often make animals more vulnerable to poaching, as they congregate around the few remaining water sources, making them easy targets for illegal hunters.
"By August, our officers will be deployed in full force to monitor poaching and other illegal activities," Marasinghe said. This increased presence is also intended to curb the "unauthorized entry of cattle" into national parks—a growing issue where local farmers graze their livestock on park grasslands, further depleting the food supply for wild herbivores and introducing the risk of disease transmission.
The long-term survival of Sri Lanka’s wildlife depends on a multi-pronged strategy:
- Rigorous Boundary Enforcement: Utilizing modern satellite mapping and drone surveillance to prevent further encroachment and manage reclaimed lands.
- Active Habitat Restoration: Transitioning from a "passive protection" model to an "active management" model that includes scrub clearing and controlled burning to preserve grasslands.
- Climate Resilient Infrastructure: Developing sustainable groundwater extraction points and restoring ancient "wewa" (tank) systems within the parks to ensure water security during El Niño years.
- Community Integration: Ensuring that local populations see the economic benefits of conservation, thereby reducing the incentive for encroachment and illegal grazing.
The challenges facing Sri Lanka’s national parks are a microcosm of the global biodiversity crisis, where human needs, ecological changes, and climate instability intersect. For the "Pearl of the Indian Ocean," the coming months will be a critical test of its ability to protect its most famous residents—the elephants and leopards—against the encroaching heat and the shrinking wild.
