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Maha shivratri- by Rohan Wijesinha Barren wastelands 2023 – Pic by Sameera Weerathunga Source:Island On World Wildlife Day, it is important to remember both the triumphs and the tragedies of conservation in Sri Lanka. One of these is the Uda Walawe National Park which was established on June 30, 1972, after consistent lobbying by members of the Wildlife & Nature Protection Society (WNPS), led by its then President, Thilo Hoffmann. They had had noticed the large number of elephants that visited this place and who needed protection. The then Director of Wildlife, the legendary Lyn de Alwis, had come to the same conclusion and strongly supported their cause. Yet, in the 1980s, hardly any wildlife enthusiast would visit the Park. Ease of access was, perhaps, one reason for its lack of popularity; it could take four to five hours of travel from Colombo, on roads that were a far cry ...