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Heartbreaking footage shows elephants scavenging through rubbish in Sri Lanka after being taken from their habitat in search of food.
They accidentally consume plastic and waste from the garbage heaps surrounding Sri Lanka’s forests, putting their lives at risk. The mammals’ closer proximity to locals also causes conflict with the danger they pose to local villagers by eating crops.
Photographer Damith Danthanarayana captured these stunning images of a herd of elephants in Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.
He said: “During our exploration, we found a small elephant injured by a homemade explosive. Conflicts between elephants and humans emphasize the need for conservation and proper waste management. Immediate action is crucial to safeguard both wildlife and local communities.” .
Elephants eating at the landfill have been a problem in the city in the past and Sri Lanka It banned open dumping of garbage near wildlife sanctuaries in 2017 to discourage elephants from searching for rotting food scraps.
The government ordered electric fences to be placed around the landfills, but this appears to have been insufficient to keep the animals out.
Elephants are revered in Buddhism, the majority religion in Sri Lanka, and are protected by law. The wild elephant population in Sri Lanka is estimated at around 7,000, in addition to the 200 domestic elephants that live in the country.
This image captures the harrowing reality of life for elephants as they scavenge in Sri Lanka.
The herd of elephants can be seen rummaging through the piles of garbage while looking for food.
Elephants accidentally consume plastic and chemical waste, which poses a serious threat to their lives.
Their search for food is joined by stray dogs, who also rummage through the piles of garbage in the hope of finding something edible.
Mammals are driven from their habitat in search of food by debris surrounding forests in the eastern part of Sri Lanka.
Photographer Damith Danthanarayana captured these stunning images in Ampara, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.
The photographer said: “During our exploration, we came across a small elephant injured by a homemade explosive.”
Danthanarayana said: ‘Elephant-human conflicts emphasize the need for conservation and proper waste management. Immediate action is crucial to safeguard both wildlife and local communities.
The elephant herd is not the only one that searches for food in the garbage, dogs and birds also rummage through the piles of garbage.
The elephants’ closer proximity to locals also causes conflict with the danger they pose to local villagers by eating crops and attacking people when they feel threatened.
Elephants’ natural habitat is shrinking and they are forced to resort to eating garbage to survive
Elephants can be seen stuffing waste into their mouths in harrowing photographs taken in Sri Lanka.