Elephant Relocation
Summary
Elephant-human relations in Sri Lanka were getting so bad to the point where the elephants needed to be relocated. The elephants were being relocated in an effort to save the lives of both elephants and humans, however, the relocation of the elephants did not solve the problem. Elephants that were relocated actually caused more harm to themselves and humans than the elephants that stayed put in their original locations. The number of elephant deaths increased and along with the number of human casualties caused by elephants. An experiment was run to test the scientist’s observations. The experiment observed 24 elephants, 12 relocated and 12 stationary. After a year, their conclusion was right, proving that relocated elephants died easier, killed more civilians, and returned back to their original locations. The evidence was then used to create a new solution that suggest land use plans that minimize crop raidings and didn’t need to relocate the elephants.
My Reflection
I thought that this was a very interesting article because I never knew wild elephants invaded small towns and villages, killing an average of 70 people a year. It’s interesting to know that an obvious solution that would seem to solve the problem actually makes it worse. I have always had a perception of elephants as free roaming animals that roamed on their own plot of land, away from any civilization, but after reading this article, it changed my point of view. We need to find a solution that can benefit both humans and elephants and save the elephant population all at the same time.