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MER for jumbos obstructed by ‘land work’ Two-legged ‘white elephants’ with crooked mindset threaten Hambantota wild elephants-by Prageeth Sampath Karunatilaka Source:Dailymirror Today, the land available for the proposed reserve has shrunk to 12500 hectares The proposed MER land still belongs to the Mahaweli Authority Villagers charge that Weli Saman, Chaminda and Thushi are behind these illegal land sales An SLPP electoral organizer has grabbed 50 acres for himself by blocking off the Hedilla elephant corridor and setting up electric fences The focus on environmental conservation seems to be decreasing in the face of accelerated development projects in Sri Lanka. Development schemes encroaching on elephant habitats especially are far from satisfactory. Most projects have been implemented without prior wildlife study.  The recent death of an elephant calf in Katuwewa in Hambantota—run over by a speeding vehicle— underscores the plight of wild animals. Another elephant calf died after being hit by a ...