Sat Mar 15 06:56:44 UTC 2025: ## Sri Lanka Launches Wildlife Census Amidst Growing Farmer Concerns
**COLOMBO, SRI LANKA** – Sri Lanka launched a nationwide wildlife census on March 15th, focusing on monkey, peacock, and giant squirrel populations. The initiative comes in response to escalating complaints from farmers experiencing significant crop losses due to these animals.
The census, the first of its kind, aims to determine the density of these animals in agricultural areas to inform the development of effective population management strategies. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Namal Karunaratne, stated that crop destruction by these animals is resulting in an estimated 20% loss of total agricultural production, including approximately 90 million coconuts annually. He emphasized the severity of the problem, noting that farmers are abandoning their lands due to the persistent damage.
Agriculture constitutes a significant portion of Sri Lanka’s economy, accounting for 8% of GDP and employing 8.1 million people. The country is a major exporter of coconut products and produces billions of cashew and other nuts yearly. However, coconut, vegetable, and fruit production are being severely impacted by the increasing wildlife populations.
The census follows a February incident where a monkey caused a three-day nationwide power outage, further highlighting the growing conflict between wildlife and human populations. Anecdotal evidence from farmers like 72-year-old Edirisinghe Arachchilage Gnanasena, who counted dozens of monkeys, squirrels, and peacocks on his eight-acre farm in Dambulla, underscores the scale of the problem. Farmers attribute the increase in wildlife to habitat loss. The hope is that the census data will pave the way for long-term solutions to address this growing issue.
First Piper 