Sri Lanka's Maiden Nationwide Wildlife Census Targets Crop Protection

Sri Lanka conducted its first-ever island-wide census to count monkeys, squirrels, and peacocks to mitigate agricultural losses. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Namal Karunaratna emphasized the enthusiastic public participation. The collected data aims to address threats to crops, with findings to be forwarded to the Department of Agriculture.

Sri Lanka took a significant step towards safeguarding its agricultural sector by launching its first nationwide wildlife census on Saturday. The initiative aims to assess the impact of certain animal populations, such as monkeys, squirrels, and peacocks, on crop yields. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Namal Karunaratna praised the widespread public involvement in this vital task.

Households across the island were asked to report on the number of Toque monkeys, purple-faced langurs, giant squirrels, and peacocks between 8 and 8:05 am. The primary objective was to gather accurate data to combat crop damage attributed to these animals. The findings from this census will be utilized by the Department of Agriculture to develop mitigation strategies.

The census involved 40,000 state officials and comes in response to a recent survey revealing a 30 billion rupee loss in crops due to wildlife activity. Despite facing criticism from some farmer organizations, the government stands by its approach, highlighting the necessity of addressing these agricultural challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)