Abstract:
Pokkunutenna located adjacent to Udawalawe National park, and Dahiyagala Sanctuary
faces human-elephant conflict (HEC) significantly and is perceived as high in human
casualties. A questionnaire survey and field assessment performed to evaluate the severity of
HEC incidences, the influence of parks and sanctuary on HEC, and effective mitigatory
measures for HEC in the study area. The primary data collected using a convenience
sampling method. Pre-tested 42 questionnaires were used to collect data. The sample
collection was systematic with five houses gap, and the sixth household was interviewed after
the first household. Collected data used to obtain descriptive statistics and tested for
statistical significance using the chi-square test. Results showed that the HEC has recently
emerged in Pokkunutenna village and identified two main causes for this trend. Those were,
villagers, adopted crop cultivation as their main livelihood support and planted food
crops such as paddy, coconut, and banana that attract elephants (64%). Both the National
Park and the Sanctuary provide the main entry paths for the elephants. The invasive species
Lantana camara removal may reduce intruding elephants, which inhibits other plant growth;
eliminating natural fodder for elephants in the Udawalawe National Park. Although clearing
obstacles of electric fences may reduce the magnitude of HEC, necessary measures have to
be taken to clear the Lantana camara, which is deemed a natural way of controlling HEC.
