Our heart breaks for these poor animals…
Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants in the region, after two more were found dead over the weekend.
Photo via CBS News
Heartbreakingly, around 20 elephants were found dead over the last eight years after consuming plastic trash. Examinations of the dead animals found that they had swallowed large amounts of non-degradable plastic that is found in the garbage dump, said wildlife veterinarian Nihal Pushpakumara.
He told CBS News: “Polythene, food wrappers, plastic and 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.”
In 2020, drone footage captured more than a dozen hungry elephants scoring for food in the landfill.
Elephants in Sri Lanka are critically endangered. Their numbers have gone down from about 14,000 in the 19th century to only 6,000 in 2011.
Photo via CBS News
They are increasingly vulnerable because of the loss and degradation of their natural habitat. Many venture closer to human settlements in search of food, and some are killed by poachers or farmers angry over damaged crops.
However, elephants in Sri Lanka are protected under the Sri Lankan law and killing one carries the death penalty.
This is so sas! We hope that the Sri Lankan government does something soon to save these poor gentle giants.
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
