Elephants die from eating plastic waste
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In the last eight years, approximately 20 elephants have died as a result of eating plastic at an open landfill site in Sri Lanka.
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Elephants die from eating large amounts of non-degradable plastic.
After two more elephants were discovered dead over the weekend, conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing the animals.
Over the last eight years, approximately 20 elephants have died after consuming plastic trash in the dump in Pallakkadu village in Ampara District, about 210 km east of the capital, Colombo.
According to wildlife veterinarian Nihal Pushpakumara, examinations of the dead animals revealed that they had swallowed large amounts of nondegradable plastic found in the garbage dump.
“Polythene, food wrappers, plastic, other non-digestibles and water were the only things we could see in the post mortems. The normal food that elephants eat and digest was not evident,” he said.
Elephants are revered in Sri Lanka, but they are also in danger of extinction. According to the country's first elephant census, their population has declined from approximately 14,000 in the nineteenth century to 6,000 in 2011.
They are becoming increasingly vulnerable as a result of habitat loss and degradation. Many travel closer to human settlements in search of food, and some are killed by poachers or farmers enraged by crop damage.
Hungry elephants seek out waste in landfills, consuming plastic as well as sharp objects that harm their digestive systems, according to Pushpakumara.
“The elephants then stop eating and become too weak to keep their heavy frames upright. When that happens, they can’t consume food or water, which quickens their death,” he said.
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There are 54 waste dumps in wildlife zones throughout the country.
Failed solutions
To prevent elephants from consuming plastic waste, the government announced in 2017 that it would recycle the garbage in dumps near wildlife areas. It also stated that electric fences would be erected around the sites to keep animals at bay. Neither, however, has been fully implemented.
According to officials, there are 54 waste dumps in wildlife zones throughout the country, with approximately 300 elephants roaming nearby.
The waste management site in Pallakkadu village was established in 2008. The garbage from nine nearby villages is dumped there, but it is not recycled.
The electric fence surrounding the site was struck by lightning in 2014, and authorities never repaired it, allowing elephants to enter and rummage through the dump. Residents claim elephants have moved closer to and settled near the waste pit, instilling fear in the nearby villagers.
Many people use firecrackers to scare away animals that wander into the village, and some have built electric fences around their homes. However, the villagers frequently do not know how to install the electric fences safely, which "could endanger their own lives as well as those of the elephants," according to Keerthi Ranasinghe, a local village councilor.
“Even though we call them a menace, wild elephants are also a resource. Authorities need to come up with a way to protect both human lives and the elephants that also allows us to continue our agricultural activities,” he said.
