Kamanthi Wickramasinghe Archives

Elephant Orphanage & Elephant Lore: Dilmah Initiative at Uda Walawe-by Kamanthi Wickramasinghe Source:Thuppahis Kamanthi Wickramasinghe, in Daily Mirror, 25 March 2024, where the title reads thus: “Üda Walawe ETH: A home away from home for baby elephants” Spectators witnessing another busy feeding hour at the Uda Walawe ETH —Pix courtesy: Dilmah ConservationhInauguration of ‘Elephant Knowledge Walk’ In a bid to spread more awareness among visitors to the Uda Walawe ETH, Dilmah Conservation in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Conservation renovated the ‘Elephant Knowledge Walk’ to educate local and international visitors on why the Asian elephant needs to be protected. Apart from that a souvenir shop was also opened to support local communities. The Uda Walawe ETH was set up to rehabilitate elephants that were orphaned due to various reasons including the Human-Elephant Conflict. At the ETH, elephant calves have very little contact with humans which is vital to boost their chances of survival in ...

Understanding the leopard in a variety of habitats-by Kamanthi Wickramasinghe WWCT’s leopard survey in Gal Oya Complex The importance of secure Protected Areas and the need for increased protection in buffer areas and unprotected landscapes Source:Dailymirror Leopards use a wider range of habitats than any other species Leopard RAI is low in peripheral areas where human activity is less Prey availability in Gal Oya is lower than in other National Parks Ongoing long-term work by the Wilderness & Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), under the purview of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, is revealing important information about the leopard population in Sri Lanka. Although the overall estimated leopard population in Sri Lanka has remained stable (Kittle & Watson 2019 IUCN Red List) human-induced leopard deaths in specific regions is on the rise. “Understanding how leopards utilise Protected Areas (PA’s), buffer areas, as well as unprotected edge habitats and mixed landscapes is ...