This has nothing to do with Environment, but as majority of the country are having high expectations that Sri Lanka will win T20 World Cup; thought of writing about the tournament’s theme song.

The T20 World Cup has gripped cricket fans for the past three weeks and its official theme song with its catchy papare beat has no doubt, helped in electrifying the atmosphere. ‘Vissai visse’, a creation of Sarigama Music is sung by superstars Bathiya and Santhush. ‘Vissai visse’ which in essence means ‘Twenty Times More’ captures the spirit and energy of Sri Lankan cricket and the Twenty20 format of the game.

An English version too has been made aiming to extend its appeal to fans everywhere. “We are happy to be part of this official song” said Bathiya and Santhush. Teenage fan Dasun described it as amazing and said, “It gave us something to chant at the matches.”

The music video too is also becoming more popular on YouTube and the organisers have invited fans to send in video clips of their own performances, which are incorporated to the music video. See the ICC’s official YouTube channel www.youtube.com/user/cricketicc

(The Sinhala version of ‘Vissai visse’ features Bathiya Jayakody and Santhush Weeraman/ Dinesh Kanagaratnam/ Umaria Sinhwansa while the English version features Bathiya Jayakody and Santhush Weeraman/ Arjun Coomaraswamy/ Randhir Withana/ Umaria Sinhwansa)

Published on SundayTimes on 07.10.2012 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121007/plus/swinging-to-the-beat-of-vissai-visse-15092.html

Earlier this month the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle launched its first major publication “Sri Lankan Primates: An Enthusiasts’ Guide” before a gathering of the wildlife community. The book was dedicated to a man little known to the public: Dharma Sri Kandamby. The dedication read- “To Dharma Sri Kandamby, Founder Patron of the Galle Wildlife Conservation Society for his guidance and inspiration”.

Curator of the Galle Maritime Museum, Mr. Kandamby retires this month, after a lifetime of service to conservation, guiding many young people in Galle who have gone on to become well-known scientists today.

When the time came to present the first copies of the book, the authors Madura De Silva and Nadika Hapuarachchi invited Mr. Kandamby on stage. After handing over the first copy, Madhura knelt before ‘Kandamby Sir’ to pay tribute to his first teacher in wildlife – the man who helped him come this far in the field. Hundreds of unsaid words would have been expressed between these conservationists from two generations in the emotional hug on stage.

“I was so happy when I learned from Madura de Silva and Nadika Hapuarachchi that they wanted to dedicate their book on Primates to Mr. Kandamby. It makes me proud to know that none of these young men have forgotten their teacher and their mentor,” said Rohan Pethiyagoda who contributed the text of the book.

“Kandamby Sir” as they call him has also been a great source of inspiration to the young naturalists of the Galle Wildlife Conservation Society at Hiyare. Recalling the early days, Madhura, who has been the society’s president since its inception said that back in 1992 a few nature lovers had gathered together with the intention of forming a Wildlife Society. “But we neither had direction nor proper resources to learn about wildlife. Luckily we heard that the Galle Maritime Museum had an expert on wildlife and decided to go and meet him to get his support.” Madura and his friends were then studying for their Advanced Levels.

“I wanted to check whether their intentions were genuine. An interest in nature alone wouldn’t work as real conservationists need discipline and ethics,” Mr. Kandamby said remembering that first meeting. “I believe conservation begins with a love for nature. To love nature, one needs to be knowledgeable- so education plays a major role.” Mr. Kandamby’s vision on conservation also became the vision for the Galle Conservation Society. Soon the Maritime Museum became the study centre for members of the Galle Conservation Society. But membership was not something obtained overnight. One needed to attend a few classes and show an interest in studying at least one animal group to become a full-time member.

Madura also praises Mr. Kandamby’s approach to conservation. “As youngsters, we always want to catch animals such as snakes. But Mr. Kandamby always discouraged us from doing that. He taught us to be patient and made us first understand animal behaviour.” It wasn’t an easy task two decades ago as there were only few guides and colour illustrations that helped identify animals or plants.

But under such guidance, many prominent researchers on wildlife have emerged from Galle. The list starts with Mohammed Bahir who is now the authority on freshwater crabs, a species that records the highest endemism in Sri Lanka. The researcher never forgot his mentor and paid tribute to him in 2005 by naming a freshwater crab that is new to science as Ceylonthelphusa Kandambyi. Other young naturalists who had been inspired by Mr Kandamby include Sudath Nanayakkara, Sudesh Batuwita, Dr. Kalana Maduwage and Dr. Anjana Silva.

Ceylonthelphusa Kandambyi: The freshwater crab discovered by Mohammed Bahir, named after his mentor

Dr. Kalana Maduwage who has discovered many new species of snakes testifies that Mr.Kandamby is the most inspiring teacher that he has ever met. “He has the ability of using different teaching methods for different�students�according to their talents and interest, which was the reason for their successful careers. The outcome of his teaching ability is expressed in the discovery�of more then 100 new species by his students,” Kalana added.

Sudath Nanayakkara who is now managing the Agra Arboretum and WHT research centre recalls memories of the days Mr. Kandamby kept the Maritime Museum open for him to study when he came in late after attending another technical course.
Mr. Kandamby remains the modest man he always has been. “After Madura and others came to leadership, I let them run the association on their own.

I’m really happy that the society which is still young has come this far,” he said. Before he became curator of the Galle Maritime Museum in Galle in 1992, he was attached to the National Museum’s Zoological Lab where researchers would often come to study specimens. Joining as a technical officer, he studied on his own and associating with top scientists both local and international helped further his knowledge on reptiles, amphibians and fish. His presence in the museum also made the researchers’ task easier, as he could point out any specimen they were looking at quickly.

“Mr. Kandamby understood the importance of type specimens on which the description and name of a new species is based and put extra care into preserving them,” said well-known researcher Kalum Manamendrarachchie who has discovered a number of new amphibians.

Wildlife expert Rohan Pethiyagoda who published the landmark guide to Freshwater Fish was only an amateur naturalist when he first met Dharma Sri Kandamby back in 1988, almost 25 years ago. “I was preparing to write my book on freshwater fishes and I went to the museum to look at some of the type specimens. Mr. Kandamby immediately made me feel very welcome and offered to help me in any way he could. I went on to spend many happy days in his company in the museum. I was incredibly impressed by how much he knew about fish and how readily and unselfishly he shared his knowledge with me, going to a lot of trouble to find specimens and refer old registers,” Rohan said.

Most of the country’s wildlife societies are based in Colombo, so Mr. Kandamby’s contribution to Galle producing so many young naturalists cannot be forgotten. Rohan Pethiyagoda’s comment may be the most fitting tribute to this quiet man of science. “I sometimes wonder what natural history studies in Sri Lanka would have been like if there were a “Mr. Kandamby” in every town in Sri Lanka. Can you imagine how many young people could have been inspired? But sadly, there is only one Mr Kandamby, and for him we must all be grateful.”

Published on 20.09.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/120930/plus/a-man-who-made-them-all-wild-men-14283.html

Western Province households will be urged to put a little extra thought and trouble into dealing with their garbage – for the sake of the environment. Homes will be requested to separate perishable and non-recyclable waste from the rest of their garbage. At present, all solid waste generated in households is disposed of in the same way, by dumping, and material that could be used is lost.

Priyantha Samarakkody

Prof.Young Che Ahn

The new approach to garbage disposal is a pilot project of the Western Province Waste Management Authority (WPWM), in association with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Eighty per cent of the country’s garbage is perishable. A small percentage is used for composting purposes, but most of it ends up in garbage dumps, and only add to the pollution problem. These open dumps are a source of pollution, but the local authorities are compelled to use them in the absence of proper sanitary landfills.

Under the Source Segregation for Effective Management of Municipal Solid Waste initiative, households will be urged to sort out their garbage before leaving garbage bags out for the Municipal Council to pick up.

The local authorities will issue polyethylene bags (PE bags) for the disposal of garbage. These bags, in different sizes, will be available at shops, stores, supermarkets, pharmacies, etc. These bags will be for perishable waste and non-recyclable waste. The garbage truck or “kunu tractor” will not accept garbage that has not been sorted and put into these special bags. Recyclable waste and hazardous waste such as fluorescent bulbs, batteries and clinical waste will be collected free of charge.

The “polluter pay principle” will encourage good habits among waste generators, WPWM director Priyantha Samarakkody told the Sunday Times. Waste disposal was a high-cost service borne by the local authorities, and there should be separate charge for the service, just as there are for power and water consumption. “If the user does not pay, the Government will have to pay, and this would mean increased taxes.

Otherwise, the environment will have to pay, and this will impact on the society,” he said.�Professor Young Che Ahn of KOICA, and an advisor to the WPWM, told the Sunday Times that the system was a success in South Korea. It had significantly reduced the volume of municipal solid waste sent to landfills and incinerators, and a large increase in the volume of recyclable material.

The new approach would increase citizen participation in recycling and composting activities, reduce waste, and minimise adverse impact on the environment, Prof. Young said.

Published on 07.10.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/121007/news/households-urged-to-sort-out-garbage-for-environments-sake-15453.html

Researchers worry that the only known population of new endemic tree frogs Polypedates ranwellai, named in honour of Dr. Sanjeewa Ranwella, could soon become extinct. 

Sri Lanka, already known as an Amphibian hotspot, reveals another new frog at the Gilimale Forest of Peak Wilderness. Leading researcher Mendis Wickramasinghe of the Herpetological Foundation of Sri Lanka, who, together with the late Dr. Amith Munindadasa and Dr. Prithviraj Fernando, published a scientific paper in a world’s leading journal, recently updated Sri Lanka’s Amphibians to 112.

The new frog has been named Polypedates ranwellai or Ranwella’s spined tree frog. Mr Wickramasinghe said the frog was named after the late Dr. Sanjeewa Ranwella in honour of his exceptional dedication towards wildlife conservation in Sri Lanka. Dr Ranwella was an active member and an instructor at the Young Zoologists’ Association (YZA) who met with an untimely death at a young age in a boat accident in 2003. Dr. Ranwella and Mr Wickramasinghe were colleagues at YZA and had conducted many field excursions together. Mr Mendis said the new species had been first observed in 2000 during a field visit to the Gilimale forest reserve with Dr. Ranwella. The research team later collected specimens and subjected them to a rigorous scientific process to establish that the species is unique and endemic to Sri Lanka.

Although the new species tentatively categorised under the genus Polypedates, the researchers pointed out that this species shows extreme deviations, especially in the skull, from other specimens of the same group, indicating that the new frog could belong to a new genus. Its specialty is the 6 spines located on the sides of its jaws and on the parietal area on the back of the head. Mr Wickramasinghe said that tree frogs with these kinds of spines were found in Brazil and Ghana. The female of this species is about 6 cm, so it is a comparatively large frog.

However, the habitat of this endemic frog is already threatened. Forest fragmentation has become the major threat in this area due to accelerated deforestation. The Induruwa mukalana and Guruluwana regions have become separated by deforestation in the past 10 years, and are now two separate islands according to Mr Mendis. Researchers point out that the many pot holes in its gravel road, which filled with water during the monsoons and served as breeding grounds for these species, has now been concreted, while the existing pot holes quickly run dry when vehicle go over them. Concreting of the road attracts more visitors, and hence more vehicles visit the forest reserve, and consequently, large amounts of garbage is being left behind in the forest.

Apart from logging and encroachment by tea plantations, hazardous activities such as gem mining, sand mining, use of agro chemicals, cutting down and setting fires in the forest edge are also posing threats. All these continued harmful anthropogenic activities consequently, pose other harmful effects such as drying out of water bodies and soil erosion.
Researchers also worry that the proposed construction of a dam across the Kalu Ganga will flood a large area including the Gilimale reserve, completely wiping out the only known population of Polypedates ranwellai from the island – hence a loss to the whole world.

Mr Mendis also dedicates this research paper to the memory of Dr. Amith Munindradasa, one of the co-authors of the publication, whose untimely death was a great loss to the country. An electronic engineer by profession, Dr. Munindradasa was a man of many talents. He had discovered many species new to science, and worked together with the research team till his death.

International meeting on Biodiversity opens in Hyderabad India

Representatives from over 170 countries including Sri Lanka, meet in Hyderabad, India, this week, to discuss the way forward to protect the earth’s biodiversity. This meeting – 11th Conference of Parties of United Nation’s Convention of Biological Diversity will focus on adopting a new Strategic Plan to halt biodiversity loss by the end of this decade.

Meanwhile, the International Union on Conservation of Nature (IUCN), including experts on biodiversity too, has held its congress in South Korea. Scientists highlight that the rate of species extinction has doubled and that, many known species as well as species new to science, will soon become extinct, if the current level of threats continue. Their decline have been mainly caused by humans, but, in almost all cases, scientists believe their extinction can still be avoided, if conservation efforts are specifically focused. They also point out that species extinction will even indirectly affect humans.

Published on 14.10.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/121014/news/a-tree-frog-leaps-into-list-of-endemic-amphibians-16391.html

October 13th was International Day of Disaster Reduction. That same week lightning strikes claimed several lives in Sri Lanka.

Although the drought appeared to be easing in some areas of the country with the onset of rains, it has come at a price with lightning strikes killing five people during the past few weeks. Two Korean tourists were among the first victims who were hit by lightning while they were enjoying the scenery from a vantage point – Lipton’s Seat. A few days later two farmers were killed in Medawachchiya.

According to Meteorology Department data, the number of deaths due to lightning has increased over the years with the number standing at 40 for this year. According to Met. Department chief meteorologist Ananda Jayasinharachchi the highest number of deaths, 50, was recorded last year. Although the data is not comprehensive as the list is compiled according to media reports, notification through personal contacts or reported by the Disaster Management Centre, many experts in the field agree that the intensity of lightning has increased over the years.

Mr. Jayasinharachchi also agreed adding that the thunder has become louder and the lightning more intense. “This could be due to climate change,” the expert meteorologist said adding that global warming resulted in extreme weather patterns. He also said population density was increasing in many areas, so a single lightning strike could cause more damage.

Sri Lanka faces two main seasons of lightning that coincide with the inter-monsoon rains. The March-April season has proved to be the worst season and experts say the lightning will be more intense in the fast approaching second season, October – November. They point out this is because during the inter-monsoon period the cloud cover is more than during the monsoon and the chances for the clouds to get electronically charged were more.

According to experts lightning incidents are more frequent in the wet zone of Sri Lanka and areas such as Horana, Avissawella and Ratnapura were more prone to them. Accordingly although the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces are more prone to lightning, deaths have been reported consistently from other districts.

There are many form of lightning, but the ones that strike the earth are the ones that create widespread damage to property and cause injuries.

Not just humans but in the recent past, several elephants too have fallen victim to lightning.

How to determine the danger:

When a flash of lightning is observed, count the seconds before the sound of the thunder clap. Every five seconds equals one mile. Divide this by five to get the distance in miles between you and the lightning. Less than 15 seconds means you are in the danger zone, where the strike is less than three miles away.

Outdoor safety:

• Avoid being near the tallest object around
• Move to a sturdy enclosed building
• Get inside a hardtop vehicle and keep the windows rolled up
• Don’t seek shelter under isolated trees
• Do not ride bicycles or travel in an open vehicle like a tractor
• If in a boat, crouch down in the centre of the boat
• Swimming is not safe
• Wear dry slippers (wet slippers are still not safe)

Indoor safety:

• Do not use any electrical appliances and unplug unnecessary ones
• Disconnect the TV antenna, keeping socket of antenna wire closer to earth outside the house
• Do not use a corded telephone except in an emergency
• Stay away from windows and doors

First aid:

• �Massage the victim
• �If not breathing, give artificial respiration

Note: Touching a victim of lightning is safe. (From http://www.meteo.gov.lk)

What is lightning?

Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of electricity, which typically occurs during thunderstorms. In the atmospheric electrical discharge, a leader of a bolt of lightning can travel at speeds of 60,000 miles per second, and can reach temperatures reaching 30,000 �C (54,000 �F), hot enough to fuse silica sand. Energy of a normal lightning can be used to keep a 100 watt bulb switched on for three months.

What is thunder?

Thunder is the sound made by lightning. The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within a bolt of lightning. In turn, this expansion of air creates a sonic shock wave which produces the sound of thunder.

Inter-monsoon period begins with dry NCP receiving blessed rain�

By Sonja Candappa

After the drought conditions experienced in the past few months, the second inter-monsoon period has begun with scattered thunder showers forecast in most parts of the island and especially in the parched North Central and Eastern Provinces.
Met Department Chief Meteorologist Ananda Jayasingharachchi told the Sunday Times the reason there was less rainfall this year was because there were insufficient tropical disturbances in the Bay of Bengal.

“The change in climatic activity around the Bay of Bengal is part of a global climate change and is the result of global warming,” Mr. Jayasingharachchi said.�The much needed rains are expected to continue throughout October and November, depending on whether tropical disturbances are created in the Bay of Bengal.

There are two inter-monsoon periods from March to April and October to November. During this period, scattered thunder showers are experienced in the evenings, island wide.�The North-East monsoon from December to mid-February affects most of the island, but especially the Northern, Eastern and North-Central Provinces.

How hail forms

Met Department Meteorologists said that hail experienced in the Haputale area was a result of the formation of cumulo-nimbus, convectional clouds over the region. Convectional clouds form when the there is insufficient rain during monsoon periods and the surface of the earth overheats, enabling water particles to evaporate and condense in the upper atmosphere and fall as hail.

Published on SundayTimes on 14.10.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/121014/news/rain-brings-relief-but-danger-lurks-in-lightning-strikes-16360.html

New animals arrive in Zoo as exchange program with Prague zoo swapping for a pair of Pinnawala Elephants. 

Six new animals arrived last Thursday to Dehiwala Zoo as a result of an animal exchange program with the Chez Republic’s Prague zoo. This includes pairs of Przewalski’s Horses, River Hippopotamuses and Komodo Dragons.

Komodo Dragon is the largest monitor lizard in the world that can grow about 10ft. They are naturally found only in Indonesia’s Komodo Island few other suburban locations and famous for their notorious hunting habits. Komodos are carnivores and the diet of big Komodo dragons mainly consists of deer or buffalo and also does not mind eating carrion. It is believed that the deadly bacteria develop in its mouth makes its saliva venomous, so after a bite the prey dies sometimes in few days time where Komodo’s will await to finish off the prey.

A Komodo Dragon resting in its enclosure

In Dehiwala Zoo, they will be given goat meat and other meat items as per zoo sources. As Komodo Dragons are burrowing animals, a metal mesh has been put under its enclosure, and then cemented before putting amount of sand to make sure they cannot escape. This is the first time Dehiwala Zoo got down Komodo Dragons as per the Zoo sources.

All these 3 animals are threatened with extinction in the wild the wild as Przewalski’s Horse is categorized as “Endangered”; while the other 2 species are categorized as “Vulnerable for Extinction”.

Przewalski’s Horse (also known as Mongolian Horse) is an iconic animal that conservation action can help to revive animals from extinction. As per experts, the last wild Przewalski’s horses had been seen in 1966 in Mongolia and it was afterward considered as an animal “Extinct in the Wild”. But zoos around the world have launched a successful breeding program; later re-introducing it to the wild. This horse is now got its rates elevated from ‘Extinct in the wild” to “Endangered” making it a classic case where conservation action can help to save animals from extinction.

In return of these animals, a pair of Pinnawala Elephants 8-year Janitha and 7 year old Amara has been sent to Prague Zoo last week. A Sri Lankan military aircraft has been used to transport these animals last week reaching the destination after about 20 – 30 hour long flight. In return the aircraft brought the animals to Dehiwala Zoo. Chez Republic consider elephants as high value animals, but animal welfare societies in Sri Lanka are not too happy to send these elephant to Prague as the city is having a cold period and also claiming that the animals are usually been kept in under-sized enclosures.

Talking to the local media in Chez republic, the director of Prague zoo welcomed Sri Lanka saying that the elephant acquisition is Sri Lanka’s gift to the Czech Republic rather than routine exchange of animals between zoos. Prague zoo deputy director Jaroslav Simek further said it is a unique project that will largely help extend the genetic base of the European breeding of Indian elephants.

According to Chez newspaper praguemonitor, the newcomer elephants will be accommodated in a new pavilion that has been completed in the Prague zoo and that is now inhabited by an Indian elephant male and three females, including a pregnant one. The Prague zoo wanted to bring four new elephants from Sri Lanka but the country never provides more than two to foreign applicants.

A Mongolian Horse

A new River Hippo

IEPSL president reminds importance of development going hand-in-hand with environment

The Government wants to make Colombo a cleaner, greener city, Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in his address to the annual sessions of environmental professionals.

“We need to develop clean, green, people-friendly cities. The environment needs to be preserved so that people can enjoy the beauty of this country’s natural greenery and abundant waterways,” Mr. Rajapaksa said at the opening ceremony of the 6th Annual Sessions of the Institute of Environmental Professionals of Sri Lanka (IEPSL), last week.

Highlighting the projects already underway to clean up the city he said the Beira Lake project included the unblocking of gates, tributaries and output channels while unauthorised settlements and buildings around the area will be removed.
Mr. Rajapaksa added under the Metro Colombo Urban Development Project financed by a World Bank loan unresolved long-standing issues such as the problem of flooding and drainage in the city will be rectified. The city’s drainage infrastructure, including its micro drainage channels, primary and secondary canals and lakes will be improved under this programme, he elaborated.

Mr. Rajapaksa said under the Resettlement of Underserved Settlements Project of the Urban

Prof.Hemanthi Ranasinghe

Development Authority, some 70,000 families living in poor conditions in the city will be relocated and given housing in high rise buildings, designed and constructed to acceptable standards.

According to the Defence Secretary these buildings will come up in the vicinity of the residents’ original homes, so that they would not have to find new jobs or different schools for their children. He said 10,000 housing units are currently being constructed while moves are afoot to expand this by a further 15,000 next year.

Addressing the gathering IEPSL president Prof. Hemanthi Ranasinghe reminded those present that any meaningful development had to go hand-in-hand with environmental well being, adding that the institute had selected ‘Urban Regeneration and Environmental Balance’ as the theme of its sessions this year to highlight this important aspect as many new development projects were currently underway.

Published on SundayTimes on 21.10.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/121021/news/gota-promises-clean-green-city-17470.html

Last year same period: Waves of Dragonflies were reported from the west coast and other areas. The world’s longest insect migration was documented from India-Maldives-Africa and this observation hints Sri Lanka too could be a hub in its path. Public support is sought this year to unravel this mystery�

On October 20 last year a large swarm of dragonflies were spotted in Sri Lanka’s west coast by a bird watcher Nashath Hafi. The insects had been seen heading south from areas including Moratuwa and Kollupitiya. Subsequent investigations confirmed this unusual influx of insects

A Globe Skimmer Dragonfly found last year soon after the wave of dragonflies

Speaking to the Sunday Times Sarath who lives by the coast in Dehiwela said, “the cloud of dragonflies took a few hours to pass our area. The insects were everywhere and some even ended up inside houses”. Members of the fishing community at Dehiwela helped to catch a few dragonflies that were still hovering around.

An investigation into the phenomenon by consulting biologists revealed a possibility of a mass migration of dragonflies spanning India – Maldives and all the way up to East Africa. The path covers a distance of around 14,000 kilometres and could be called the world’s longest insect migration.

Maldivian-based biologist Dr. Charles Anderson initially revealed the amazing phenomenon based onthe dates the dragonflies appear in the Maldives and India.

The Maldive Islands lack surface freshwater as the soil absorbs all rainwater. This indicated that dragonflies which spend their larvae stage in fresh water cannot breed in these tropical islands. Yet, every year millions of dragonflies appeared in the Maldives which the biologist who had been living in the islands for many years found puzzling. He also noted the insects appeared in the Maldives in October.

So Dr. Anderson investigated the concentration of dragonflies in other areas.�He noted the dates dragonflies arrived in the Maldives and India demonstrated that the insects travelled from southern India –a distance of some 500 – 1000 km. Subsequent investigations also revealed an increase of dragonflies in Seychelles islands in Africa and the arrival dates in the Seychelles matched with a possible mass migration.

Dr.Anderson based on his data calculated the Dragonflies first appear in the capital city of Maldives on 21st of October on average. Quite interestingly the wave of Dragonflies was observed in Sri Lanka on 20th October highlighting the possibility that the island too was part of the path of the India-Africa dragonfly mass migration.

Checking photos of the species of dragonflies found in Sri Lanka Dr.Anderson was able to confirm it was the same species known as Globe Skimmer, or Wandering Glider, scientifically categorised as Pantala flavescens.

A Dehiwala resident showing a dragonfly caught on the beach

The biologist also noted the dates of arrival of dragonflies and occurrence coincided with the southward passage of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) which creates certain wind patterns that could assist dragonflies in their journey across oceans.

The Meteorological department confirmed the ITCZ would cross Sri Lanka next week. So it is likely that this year’s mass movement of the dragonflies could occur in next few days.

Inspired by this mass movement of dragonflies, the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka (FOGSL) that studies bird migration has launched a MigrantWATCH programme.

It calls on members of the public who may notice the mass movement of dragonflies, to note down the date and time of observation, the location, the direction they fly and the approximate number of dragonflies if possible.

All data should be sent to MigrantWATCH program via email at: fogsl@slt.lk, by post: MigrantWATCH, FOGSL, Department of Zoology, University of Colombo, Colombo-03 or by telephone via Nos: 2501332/ 0712543634.

New species of dragonfly found in Sri Lanka�

Sri Lanka is listed with having 118 species of dragonflies of which 43 are endemic to the country. Recently a new variety was discovered by Nancy van der Poorten – a well known researcher into dragonflies who made the discovery from Kudawa at the western edge of Sinharaja rain forest.

The new Dragonfly – Macromidia donaldi pethiyagodai

The variety belongs to a genus referred to as Macromidia. Genus is a categorization of species that has similar characteristics and this is the first time a dragonfly of this genus has been discovered from Sri Lanka.

The species similar to a species found in India’s Western Ghats is separated from its Indian cousin by a distance of 750 km and could therefore be endemic to Sri Lanka.

Researchers however point out, until certain aspects of the Indian dragonfly are studied in detail, it would not possible to confirm the differences scientifically.

Until such time the latest discovery of Dr. Nancy van der Poorten has been designated as a Sri Lankan subspecies and named Macromidia donaldi pethiyagodai, honouring Rohan Pethiyagoda who made several discoveries of new species.

Published on 14.10.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/121014/news/sri-lanka-could-be-in-path-of-worlds-longest-insect-migration-16409.html

Private campsites at national parks are to be dismantled and removed, on an order from President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The order came at a special Hambanthota District Development Committee meeting held last week, at which a report was tabled that claimed these campsites had become permanent and were polluting the environment.

Environment lawyer Jagath Gunasekara said he welcomed the news, as the private campsites were illegal. Under the Fauna and Flora Ordinance, only the Department of Wildlife Conservation may provide facilities inside a park. The lawyer said private parties had no right to clear vegetation, build roads or put up structures inside a national park.

These private campsites have been maintained for years inside national parks with permission from Department of Wildlife Conservation. It was only when a dispute arose between campsite operators and Yala Jeep drivers that the illegality of these structures has come to the spotlight. In August, a gang of Jeep drivers assaulted employees of campsite operators, saying they were taking away their business. Campsite operators denied the allegation, saying their services were pre-booked several months ahead, while Jeep drivers conducted safaris on a daily basis. Reports also say that over 100 jeep drivers gathered at Palatupana near Yala entrance with aim of beating the leaving campsite operators and there is lack of Police Protection. However, jeep drivers too break law and discipline inside the park driving vehicles on high speed. 

[Full text: It is reported that the President Mahinda Rajapakse has ordered private campsites to be removed from the National Parks. As state mediate reported, he made this directive addressing a special Hambanthota District Development Committee meeting last week. According to the report, President Rajapaksa said these camp sites have now become permanent camp sites and the environment of the National Park has been polluted in alarming proportions according to information he gathered.

Environmentalists commend the move of the Rajapaksa also pointing out that the private camp sites are also a violation of law. The Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunasekara says that he welcomes this move as the private campsites are clear violation of law. He points out that according to the Fauna and Flora Ordinance (FFPO) only Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) can provide facilities inside the park. Furthermore no person can engage in having business in National Parks. The veteran lawyer point out it is also illegal to clear any vegetation, construct roads or erect any structures inside a National Park by private parties.

However, these campsites are been operated for many years and only a raw between the campsite operators and Yala Jeep Drivers had taken this issue to the arena. In august, several employees of camp site operators have been beaten savagely by the Jeep drivers saying that they are grabbing the jeep drivers business in unfair manner. But the campsite operators denied these allegations saying that their services were pre-booked several months ahead while Jeep Drivers are getting their safaris on daily basis.

This raw has been later settled down, but followed a DWC team to inspect the sites. They had given green light for 2 of the camp sites, but the one operated by the EcoTeam was temporary closed down as the conditions were found unsatisfactory. The head of the Leopard Safar; Noel Rodrigo said their operation is clean and done on Environmental Friendly manner with limited environmental footprint.

However, organizing a press conference on the issue; Sajeewa Chamikara of Environmental Conservation Trust alleged that 4 more private companies are given campsites in Yala. It is also revealed that those private campsites are going to be allowed in other National Parks too which could be a dangerous precedence.

Rukshan Jayawardane who is another activist who follows the Yala issue also welcome the president’s decision. However he pointed out that there should be a thorough investigation on how these private campsites have got permission through DWC and allowed to be running for many years ignoring the FFPO. Rukshan also point out that the visitor misbehavior and Tissa Jeep Drivers activities too should be regulated and monitored properly in Yala National park. The Jeep Drivers are speeding in the national park and on busy long weekends the Yala National park is getting lots of vehicles that all in search of leopards which ends up speeding.]

Published on SundayTimes on 21.10.2012 0n page 04

Last week, this blog reported about mass influx of Dragonflies that usually occurs in this period of time. This week, the fishermen got a bumper harvest from fish aggravate in coastal waters..!! 

Reports from East coast indicated that the fish has come to areas near shore giving bumper harvest

Malu, Malu, Malu: Thousands of fish were washed ashore yesterday due to changes in the weather pattern and the temperature of the seabed. Children and other residents of Beruwala are seen collecting the fish, dead or alive, with experts saying the fish was not harmful for consumption. Pic by S. Siriwardena/SundayTimes

to the fishermen. This is been reported mainly in Kanthamkudi and other areas in Batticaloa, but our correspondents from Beruwala too reported lots of fish been found making it maritime for fishermen.

But this has puzzled general public where many fears it is a sign of an incoming disaster. SundayTimes asked the Oceanography experts to find out the reason for this phenomenon. Dr.K.Arulananthan – the head of National Institute of Oceanography and Maritime Science based at NARA said has been caused due to changing patterns of Oceanic Currents.

Sri Lanka is now experiencing the second Inter Monsoon Rains. According to Dr.Arul, During the South Western Monsoon, the East Indian Coastal current flows from Arabian see toward Bay of Bengal via Southern tip of Sri Lanka. But on the North-western Monsoon; the direction of this East Indian Coastal Current reverse and it happen during the Inter-monsoon season. This brings cold water from Bay of Bengal region and this change of temperature assist growing of Algae and Planktons that leads to algae bloom. Little fish gathers to feed on these microscopic plankton and even big Pelagic fish lives in open seas follows the smaller ones making this present fishing frenzy in many areas, explained Dr.Arul.

The Sardines or Keeramin and Skipjack Tuna are the most notable fish gathered in numbers during past few days. The said phenomena is more applicable for pelagic fish, comments Dr.Arul. The expert also explains another possibility of getting some of the dead fish washed ashore. The Algae is also perform Photosynthesis which consumes the Oxygen in the water. In the waters where Algae bloom, the fish find lack of Oxygen and many dies. Some of these dead fish washed ashore while others sunk deep down to bottom. The decaying bodies of fish at the bottom deplete the Oxygen in that region which affect the bottom dwelling fish like Eel or Ray fishes.

This year Sri Lanka experienced a delayed South West monsoon and perhaps these climatic changes aggravated the differences of the oceanic current to make it more observant. However, Dr.Arulananthan calls it is a normal phenomena and nothing to worry. But the Climate Change may bring more such abnormal changes of weather patterns that leads to phenomenas like this in the future fears the experts.

Many fears that this could be bad omen remembering that just before 2004 Tsunami, loads of fish aggravated in similar manner. Dr.Arul reminding that Tsunami came in December and this phenomenon of changing of East Indian Coastal Current occur during October or November that could have triggered fish aggravation in 2004. He also says the underwater earthquakes might make bottom dwelling fish lives in the deep to migrate to other regions in sea via Oceanic currents, but the fish caught during last few days are not abnormal species, but the common ones usually found in our oceans.

However, it is interesting to know that how the changes of climatic patterns effects the animal behavior as only last week SundayTimes reported about a Dragonfly Migration that follows Inter Tropical Convergence Zone which falls on the same time period across Sri Lanka.

A new Director General (DG) has been appointed for the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) this week.
The appointment of Mr. H.D. Ratnayake ended the longest period the Department has been operating without a DG after the position was rendered vacant 15 months ago in July 2011.

Assuming duties, Mr. Ratnayake said he will take care of the wildlife of Sri Lanka to the best of his ability using his years of experience working in the Department.

He was the Director Operations before this appointment.�Since the transfer of the former DG Dr.Chandrawansa Pathiraja, Agrarian and Wildlife Ministry Secretary engineer Udeni Wicremasinghe has been looking after the DWC as the acting Director General. However, many of his decisions and the way he operated the Wildlife Department has come under the scrutiny of environmentalists more than once.

www.sundaytimes.lk/121118/news/wildlife-gets-new-dg-21081.html

The famous blind elephant known as the “Mahakanadarawa Tusker” is dead. Its badly decomposed carcass minus the tusks was discovered last week on the banks of a reservoir in Medawachchiya. The tusks had been sawn off. It is not clear whether the animal died from natural causes or whether it was killed. Police are investigating.

Veterinary surgeon Dr. Chandana Jayasinghe, who conducted the post-mortem, told the Sunday Times that the animal would have been dead for about 10 days and that it was hard to determine the cause of death due to animal’s advanced state of decomposition.

Once he was a majestic tusker (above); now (below) all that remains of him is a badly decomposed carcass minus the tusks. Pix by Athula Devapriya

The majestic tusker is believed to have been about 45 years old. Its tusks were about three feet in length. The animal used to roam in the vicinity of eadawachchiya, Kebitigollewa, and Hundugala, and villagers said he was not a “trouble-maker.”

The tusker had come in search of water during a period of drought and had remained in the vicinity of the Mahakandarawa tank. Villagers referred to the animal as the Mahakanadawara Tusker. The animal was blind in one eye and had vision problems in the other eye, according to Dr. Jayasinghe.

About three months ago the tusker was badly wounded in a fierce battle with a bull elephant that was dominating the Mahakanadarawa area. The tusker was in a weak state for some time, but recovered and returned to its home ground in Medawachchiya once the rainy season set in.

This is not a good time for tuskers. State veterinary surgeons are treating two other wounded tuskers, one a young tusker of about 15 years that was found in Kalawewa with gunshot wounds on its leg. Dr. Jayasinghe believes the elephant was a victim of a trap gun.

Last month another tusker died in Kochchikattuwa, Puttalam. Dr. Jayasinghe said the animal had difficulty walking because of a fractured hip joint. The injury could have been the result of a battle with another elephant or a roadside accident. The well built young elephant was about eight feet tall, said wildlife sources.

Dr. Chandana Jayaratne, who is the chief government veterinary surgeon in the area, believes that at least three tuskers have been killed so far this year. Many of the deaths were the result of human-elephant conflict.

Wildlife experts fear ivory hunters may be operating again.�Not all male Asian elephants develop tusks. An elephant census conducted last year showed that Sri Lanka accounted for only 7 to 8 per cent of the total male Asian elephant population. Some parts of Asia have much higher concentrations of tuskers.

Scientists say the distribution of tuskers depends on the elephant gene pool of each region. In Sri Lanka, tuskers are highly valued as cultural and religious icons. Elephant activists say elephant sanctuaries should be well protected and the elephants allowed to roam freely in order to maintain a healthy population of tuskers.

Many of the areas where tuskers once abounded are shrinking with deforestation and development programmes. The elephant habitat in Kalawewa, which once had a flourishing elephant population, is shrinking as illegal human encroachment continues. The Kalawewa elephant herd has produced many majestic tuskers.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation is offering a reward for any information that could lead to the recovery of the Mahakanadarawa elephant’s missing tusks. In May this year, Sri Lanka Customs seized 359 African elephant tusks that were being smuggled through Sri Lanka.

www.sundaytimes.lk/121118/news/tusks-sawn-off-carcass-of-mahakanadarawa-tusker-21039.html

The Government will not intervene to secure the release of Sri Lankan fishermen who have been arrested overseas after allegedly straying into territorial waters of other countries, Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne said.He said the policy would be adopted from January next year as an indication that Sri Lanka was adhering to European Union guidelines.

Sharks at the dock of Negombo fish market

The move follow a decision by the EU to issue a ‘Yellow Card’ warning to Sri Lanka and seven other countries over Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. �The minister said the EU had complained about 11 cases during the past year where Sri Lankan fishermen had intruded into territorial waters of other countries.

European Commissioner Maria Damanaki, who is in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said, “This is not a black list, but a yellow card. We want these countries as partners to combat illegal fishing. EU treats IUU fishing as a criminal activity which undermines the livelihood of fishing communities and depletes fish stocks.”

The other countries warned were Belize, Cambodia, Fiji, Guinea, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu. This list covers only the main fish exporting countries. India which heavily poaches in Sri Lankan water is not listed.

The EU is Sri Lanka’s dominant trade partner for fish and fisheries product exports, bringing in an income of about Rs. 22 billion annually.

IUU fishing refers not only to the illegal fishing using unsustainable methods of catching fish, but it also includes Unreported fishing to the relevant national authority and Unregulated fishing generally referring to fishing by vessels without nationality, or vessels flying the flag of a country not party to the regional organisation governing that fishing area or species.

National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) Chairman Sayuru Samarasundara said Sri Lanka was preparing a report to be submitted to the EU Commission following the warning.

He said that over the past few years, stringent action had been taken to curb illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters.

He said monitoring illegal fishing was a difficult task that needed more man power. The NARA chairman also stressed that this could not be done alone, so it needed a consorted effort by the Police, the Navy and the Coast Guard.

Published in SundayTimes on front page on 25.11.2012 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121125/news/illegal-fishing-lanka-gets-yellow-card-from-eu-22157.html

Tyron Vimukthi Fernando, a 15-year-old student of Joseph Vaas College, Wennapuwa held his first art exhibition when he was just seven years old. Now eight years later, the young artist is getting ready for his second to be held this week.

The exhibition will be titled ‘Untamed’.�A member of the junior group of the Young Zoologists’ Association of Sri Lanka which he joined in 2005, he was a keen student at their wildlife art classes. In the past seven years, he has developed his skills under the guidance of Shantha Jayaweera, the instructor at the wildlife art class.

Tyron is often found at the Dehiwala Zoological Gardens, sketching animals. Mind you, he has to travel from Wennappuwa a more than 50 km journey, but it’s all worth it for this keen young artist.

His teachers feel Tyron is an all-round artist who is capable of drawing any kind of animal and working with different media. He started off with pencil sketches then turned to ink drawings and watercolours, and now also works with the acrylic medium. He will exhibit some 60 paintings at his wildlife art exhibition on December 7 and 8 at the National Art Gallery, Colombo. The exhibition is on from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Published on SundayTimes on 02.12.2012 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121202/magazine/taming-the-wilds-with-his-untamed-images-22500.html

Sri Lanka has permanently lost 19 amphibian species and five flowering plants. Malaka Rodrigo reviews the National Red List 2012

We have permanently lost 19 amphibian species, all native to Sri Lanka, as confirmed by the National Red List of Conservation Status of Flora and Fauna of Sri Lanka 2012. The list, announced last week, notes that apart from the 19 amphibians that have gone extinct, two fish species, one reptile species and yet another amphibian species are labelled “possibly extinct” at the national level.

Plant lovers will mourn the permanent loss of five flowering plants, and fear for the 177 plants listed as “possibly extinct”

The grim news continues: One in every seven species of inland indigenous vertebrates, one in every two species of freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals, and one in every five species of birds, are in danger of becoming extinct in the wild.

The National Red Lists categorises threatened species in countries around the world. The criterion for the evaluation of Redlist was created by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Levels of survival ability fall into many categories, but a species is considered ‘threatened’ when it is listed under eitherCritically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable categories. When no living trace can be found of a species, it is categorised as “extinct.”

The “extinct” 19 endemic amphibians have not been seen or found in the past 100 years. Seventy-two of the 177 plants listed as “possibly extinct” are unique to Sri Lanka. If listed as extinct at the national level, then these plants are lost to the Earth forever.

The Red List 2012 evaluated a total of 2,264 faunal (animal) species, including 936 endemics, and 3,492 floral (plant) species, including seed- producing plants (gymnosperms) and ferns; 943 species are endemic.

Scientific data on many animal groups is lacking, and this is a big drawback in evaluating their conservation status, Sri Lanka Red List fauna coordinator Professor Devaka Weerakoon told the Sunday Times. Data deficiency is especially marked in the case of invertebrates and lower-level plants. For example, data is sparse on 404 out of 511 spider species, and 109 out of 194 ant species. “There’s an urgent need for research on the lesser studied groups,” Prof. Weerakoon said. “Some species could become extinct even
before they are discovered”. According to RedList, 110 species of inland vertebrates are ‘Critically Endangered’. This meansone in every seven inland indigenous vertebrate species, is at high risk.

Others on the threatened list are land snails (166), bees, butterflies, spiders, dragonflies, ants and freshwater crabs. Freshwater Crabs represents the highest number of threatened species within a group of animals. Ninety per cent of the island’s total crab species
are threatened making one in every two species of Sri Lankan freshwater crab is in imminent danger of extinction in the wild.

Doona ovalifolia – Pini Beraliya is ‘Extinct in Wild’

The last National Red List appeared in 2007 which was compiled by IUCN Sri Lanka. The 2012 Red List evaluation process is conducted by the Biodiversity Secretariat. Hundreds of experts contributed to the 2012 Red List, which will be used as a template for conservation action.

Some plants, such as the Alphonsea hortensis and Doona ovalifolia, are found only in the Botanical Gardens; so they are categorized “Extinct in the Wild”.  National Red List flora coordinator Dr. Siril Wijesundara told the Sunday Times that more than 3,000 plants were evaluated for the 2012 list, about 1,000 more than in 2007.

Published on SundayTimes on 23.12.2012 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121223/news/gone-forever-25749.html

Not a sign of doomsday but a tornado/twister sucking aquatic life in its path of destruction and ditching them once powerless – By Malaka Rodrigo

Raining of fish is not a doomsday prophecy, but a normal meteorological phenomenon, experts assured.
‘Fish-rain’ was reported at least from two places in Embilipitiya and Kamburupitiya this week, while a prawn-rain was reported from Tissamaharama on Thursday, raising concern among residents.

The Ruhuna University Agriculture Faculty in Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, experienced ‘fish-rain’. On Monday, a number of small fish were found on the ground and on the roofs of the University’s office premises following a shower.

Officials of Ruhuna University’s Faculty of Fisheries, Marine Sciences & Technology on being informed, rushed to Mapalana to investigate the phenomenon. Faculty Head Ashoka Deepananda who had studied the ‘rain-fish’ and said the specimen he had checked were freshwater fish species Lula (Snake-head fish) and Hunga (Asian Stinging Catfish).

However, fish falling from the sky is not supernatural nor is it a doomsday prediction as some people made out, assures the expert.

Raining fish is a relatively common meteorological phenomenon, with occurrences reported on many instances in the past.

Tornadoes created by violently circulating winds, which suck things in its path, move across a body of water and suck the water into it, creating a water sprout. Fish and other organisms too could be sucked up in these water columns. They can then be carried away by the strong winds and come down to in another place, near or far, along with the rain, making it a ‘fish-rainfall’. If dropped close to its place of extraction, there is the possibility of the fish surviving.

No live fish were found by the Fisheries Faculty team, but Mr. Deepananda confirmed that the fish, though dead, were fresh, indicating that they had died a few hours before. He said the bodies of the fish were crushed and carried external wounds. Mr. Deepananda confirmed that fish samples on investigation showed that the fish had also suffered internal damage.

The expert told the Sunday Times that these kind of wounds are possible when the fish fall from a great height, or also at the time they are sucked into the water column – believed to be by a mini tornado that was experienceed in the area.

A small body of water called ‘Lenabatu wewa’ is located closer to the faculty, but Mr. Deepananda said the fish could have been extracted even from a small stream. Though only specimens of common freshwater fish in the area such as Lula and Magura were found, he believes there could be other fish species too among the species that were sucked up.

Kamburupitiya: “It’s raining fish”. Pic by Krishan Jeevaka Jayaruk

A few weeks ago, similar ‘fish-rain’ was also reported from Kantale. ‘Fish-rain’ was also reported from other parts of the world where even frogs and birds dropped with the rain that came about through the same phenomenon.

In certain instances where frogs fell with the rain, the animals seemed startled, though healthy, and exhibiting relatively normal behaviour, shortly after the event. It was also reported that, in other instances, the animals were frozen to death or completely enclosed in blocks of ice. These occurrences may be evidence of the thrust of the victims to very high altitudes, where the temperature is below zero, indicating how powerful meteorological forces can be.

Met. Dept Meteorologist Ananda Jayasinharachchi said that tornado-type phenomena are more common during the inter-monsoon period. This can create dense, towering, vertical cloud forming from water vapour carried by powerful upward air currents. The tip of these clouds can get close to land or water bodies, sucking organisms such as fish.

Experts point out that this kind of raining of animals could have occurred in the recent past too, but because people are alert and more observant these days, looking for signs of doomsday, they tend to see these and report.

Published on 23.12.2012 on SundayTimes http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121223/news/raining-fishnfrogs-instead-of-proverbial-catsndogs-25769.html

As the year ends, the hunt for good 2013 calendars has begun. Wildlife is now becoming increasingly popular theme for calendars, but marine biodiversity is rarely a theme considering difficulties in getting good underwater photos. However, the new IUCN desk calendar for 2013 selected the theme Marine Wonders considering the importance of raising awareness on Marine Biodiversity.

Sri Lanka, as an island nation with a coastline of 1,585 kilometres,is home to a rich and diverse marine life. But little is known about the vast array of species that inhabit our waters or about the marine habitats that these species inhabit. Through this calendar, IUCN Sri Lanka particularly aims to create a better understanding and awareness on the importance and threats facing a selection of Sri Lanka’s marine species.

12 stunning pictures of Sri Lanka’s seascapes and marine biodiversity, photographed by some of the country’s top nature photographers have come together in this handy desk calendar for 2013. Dolphins, Whales, Shipwrecks, marine fish and corals will be featured monthly on your desk. The calendar will also be an ideal gift for the festive season.

The desk calendar priced at Rs 500/-, is available for sale at the IUCN Sri Lanka Country Office, 53, Horton Place, Colombo 7 and at the Casa Serena Gallery, 122, Havelock Road, Colombo 5.More details on how to get copies can be had from 11 2682418 or through email padmi.meegoda@iucn.org.

Published on the SundayTimes on 30.12.12 www.sundaytimes.lk/121230/plus/icun-2013-desk-calendar-features-marine-wonders-26142.html

Western Purple-leaf Monkey

The article “One leap more before our Kalu Wandura disappears forever” published in the SundayTimes on 30.12.2012 has been distorted at editing which is reported that the ‘The 2012 National Red List on Conservation Status of Species warns that it is “critically endangered”. But it should be corrected as “The endemic Kalu wandura or the purple-faced langur is listed as Endangered (2 more steps to Extinction) in the 2012 National Red List for Sri Lanka.

It is the subspecies (one of five) live in Western Province and hence termed as the western-purple faced langur is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ by IUCN (global List), and among the top 25 most threatened primates in the world. The rest of the article primarily highlighted the plight of Western-Purple Faced Langur.

The caption of the photo reported as “The late Banana, beloved of primatologist Dr. Jinie Dela. The picture was taken by a villager”. It should also be corrected as “The picture was taken by Dr.Dela”. 

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121230/news/one-leap-more-before-our-kalu-wandura-disappears-forever-26600.html

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/121230/news/kalu-wanduras-days-are-numbered-26698.html

Herewith the unedited version is fully published.. Apologize for the mistakes which has been occurred beyond my control..!!

The National RedList 2012 on Conservation Status of Species launched last week recognized the heightened danger of Extinction some animals face. ‘Kalu Wandura’ or the Purple-faced Leaf Monkey is one such species that further degraded its conservation status to ‘Endangered’; only 2 steps behind the irreversible ‘Extinction’ in the IUCN threatened scale. This Monkey was once abundant in many areas and listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in the previous Red List published in 2007 before making the jump to ‘Endangered’ in 2012.

The Purple-faced Leaf Monkey or Purple-faced Langur (Semnopithecus vetulus) is Endemic and also the largest among other 3 monkey species – Toque Monkey, Grey langur and Lorises – that live in Sri Lanka. The purple-faced langur can be observed in many areas; but a little known fact is that there are 5 subspecies of ‘kalu wandura’ present in different regions. ‘Subspecies’ is a biological classification below species level that separates races of animals based on subtle differences, and there are 5 such identified populations living in geographical isolation in different areas of Sri Lanka. The ‘race’ that finds its home range primarily is the Western Province is the Western Purple-faced Leaf Monkey (Semnopithecus vetulus nestor), and the situation is worse for them as they are ‘Critically Endangered’; just one step away from ‘extinction’.

A leading authority on the Purple-faced Langur – Dr.Jinie Dela says there are many threats to this group of monkeys. She has been studying the western race since 1985, and her work brought this primate to world attention when it was listed among “The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates” in 2004, urging the need of having conservation actions to save it. The latest update of this report compiled by the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the International Primatological Society (IPS) keep the Sri Lankan Monkey in its place unchanged in World’s most threatened 25 primates.

“Habitat degradation and habitat loss is the main threat to this primate” points out Dr Dela, based on her research. The past few decades have seen changes in land use in the Western Province, particularly in areas of the Colombo and Kalutara districts that are ranged by the Western Purple-faced Langur. With the spread of urbanization, and high price of land, home gardens are becoming smaller with less food trees for monkeys and humans. Many rubber plantations have been cleared for housing, industry, roads and other ‘human’ infrastructure.  Large trees are being cut down, and the monkey-human conflict is escalating due to intense competition between man and monkey for the few fruit trees left in pocket-sized home gardens. Monkeys constantly damage tiled roofs when they cross them to breach gaps in arboreal paths, resulting in more conflict.

This study highlighted the fact that many small rubber small-holdings that were abundant in the Colombo and Kalutara districts decades ago are now gone. These plantations gave the monkeys a little breathing space, by providing them places for rest and long ground play sessions. But now these are gone or going and the individual territories of monkey groups are shrinking. “This also creates more conflicts among groups that result in death of many animals’ lamented Dr.Dela.

Dr Dela recalling her memories said that on early days of research in the mid ’80; the kalu wanduras thrived in home garden where humans were somewhat tolerant on them. But nowadays, the tolerance level of people in gardens where monkey groups are pocketed is dropping.

Dr Dela’s long term observations also show that the loss of tall trees means that these monkeys have to travel and feed at unusually low elevations, and even come down to the ground to cross between different parts of their home range. This makes them very vulnerable to predation by dogs and poachers. There also are innumerable instances where monkeys in urban areas have lost their limbs, or even died, from contact with power lines or have become victims of road kills while crossing roads. Eventually, as conducive habitats even in rural areas shrink or get fragmented, local extinctions will invariably follow.

Dr.Dela gives a fine example to illustrate the kind of threat these monkeys face reminding the sad

Banana – Dr.Jini’s favourite monkey shot by a villager

end of her favorite monkey ‘Banana’. Banana was a young adult in his prime bravely leading one of the troops studied by Dr.Dela, but just 2 years since his ascent as leader, ‘Banana’ was shot by an irate householder for feeding on mango fruit in his garden. Without the lead male, his adult females were taken over by the ‘Thug Troop’; the young animals were tragically scattered, and his infant son, Dodi, died of tetanus from a bite of an invading adult male. “Today the fateful mango tree, too, is missing in the garden where Banana met his tragic end, and I can barely recognize the area through which I once followed his little family from dawn to dusk” says the saddened researcher highlighting the fact that threats   ‘Banana’s next generation face are more severe.

 

This year has been declared one of the worst ever for the country’s environment.�Experts say 2012 was especially disastrous, with environmental crime at an all-time high; pollution, depredation of forest cover, land grabbing, encroachment, deterioration of law and order, and human-animal conflict peaked this year.

Environment lawyer Jagath Gunawardane was whistle-blowing throughout the year, highlighting environment issues. He told the Sunday Times that 2012 has been a disaster for conservation efforts. Things became especially bad, he said, with environment-protection laws being openly flouted and law amendments that have facilitated the further exploitation and plundering of natural resources.

Human-elephant conflict continues: At least 236 elephants and 62 people killed this year.

In May, the State permitted sand transportation without permits, violating the Mines and Minerals Act. The Supreme Court has since declared this a violation of the Mines and Minerals Act. It is understood that the State had instructed the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) to amend the act to allow sand transport without a licence.

The Flora and Fauna Protection Ordinance (FFPO) was frequently violated during the year. Attempts to amend the ordinance to facilitate the exploitation of threatened species were reported. Infrastructure and development projects were allowed to go ahead, even though no proper Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) had been made.

On a positive note, at least two mini-hydro projects were put on hold after environmentalists protested.
Numerous cases of poaching, smuggling and illegal animal possession were reported, including the seizure of the largest haul of elephant tusks ever by Sri Lanka Customs.

Political interference is making it increasingly hard to control environment crime. �A business in exotic birds was halted, although the birds were later returned to the owner. Wildlife officers were attacked and manhandled when attempting to arrest poachers in the course of duty.

For 11 months, the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) had been operating without a permanent Director General. As acting DG, the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Agrarian Services was criticised by environmentalists who were outraged by some of his directives. A permanent Director General was appointed in November.

Yala was in the spotlight many times during the year. Private campsites inside the park became a hot issue, and controversy erupted over Jeep Drivers attacking employees of campsite operators. The setting up of private campsites inside a national park was later deemed a violation of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Sri Lanka).

The campsites were dismantled in October on an order from President Mahinda Rajapaksa. �Meanwhile, misbehaved visitors and unruly safari Jeep drivers continue to tarnish the country’s image as a wildlife destination.

The human-elephant conflict continues. Up to November this year, 236 elephant and 62 people were killed in the conflict. Elephant translocation was temporally stopped after a Galgamuwa tusker died while being transported.

The crocodile-human conflict has intensified, especially after a crocodile killed a young person in the Nilwala River. Cases of poisoning and killing of crocodiles have been reported. �The State has approved the translocation of Toque Monkeys (Rilawa), while wildlife experts declare the exercise a failure.

Sri Lanka’s heavy dependence on agro-chemicals in cultivation has been a much discussed issue.
Hemantha Withanage of Environmental Justice said 2012 was a year of natural disasters.

“We are being hit by extreme weather events,” he told the newspaper.�“Earlier this year, we experienced severe hardship because of the drought. Now we are suffering under floods. This is a clear sign that extreme weather resulting from climate change has begun to hit us.”

Land grabbing and encroachment� 

The year has seen several instances of land grabbing, which is largely the result of ill-conceived development projects, says Sajeewa Chamikara of Environment Conservation Trust (ECT).

Tourism and agricultural projects top the list of land-grab “offences”, while politicians continue to distribute lands for settlement. More than 2,565 hectares of land have been acquired for tourism projects in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Puttalam, Badulla and Galle. Some are located in environment-sensitive areas, such as mangrove forests.

Mr. Chamikara said that 17,273 hectares were “grabbed” for six large-scale agriculture projects.
In Amarawewa, in Yala, nearly 1,500 hectares have been “grabbed” for a gliricidia project.

Mr. Chamikara said the victims are indiscriminate land grabbing were the environment and the people. 

Published on SundayTimes on 30.12.2012 www.sundaytimes.lk/121230/news/2012-has-been-a-year-of-disasters-for-the-countrys-fragile-environment-26606.html

A Hog Deer in safe hands

Last year was not a good year for wildlife and the environment, so it was good to start the New Year on a positive note with a happy environment story.

As part of a conservation programme, two female Hog Deer were released on an island in Lunu Ganga last weekend. The animals were transported in wood crates from the Hiyare Wildlife Rescue facility to Bentota in the back of a double cab, and then by catamaran to their new island home. The release was arranged by the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle (WCSG), in association with the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

The Hog Deer (Axis porcinus), known locally as “Wil Muwa” or “Gona Muwa”, is the country’s most threatened deer species. The rare animal lives in isolated pockets between Benthara and Galle.

Infant Hog Deer bottle-fed by WCSG members

The Hog Deer rehabilitation and rescue programme began in 2009 at the Hiyare Wildlife Rescue facility, with support from the Nations Trust Bank. The Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle has rescued many injured Hog Deer from their original habitats in Elpitiya and Balapitiya. Hog Deer live in marshy habitats and have adapted to cinnamon estates, a common feature in that part of the country. Unfortunately, their intrusion into human habitation has resulted in many road accidents.

Young Hog Deer are easy prey to dogs and water monitors (kabaragoya). Female Hog Deer keep their new-born hidden in the tall grasses that grow around marshy land. The two Hog Deer released into the Lunu Ganga were attacked by water monitors in separate incidents. They were only a few weeks old when they were handed over to the Wildlife Conservation Society Galle a year ago. One had a fractured leg and was treated at the Hiyare Animal Welfare centre. The baby animals were first bottle-fed and then hand-fed with grasses and plant shoots.

Looking for a good place to release the animals, the Wildlife Conservation Society Galle heard about an island in the Benthara Lagoon that was ideal habitat for Hog Deer. Jagath Gunawardane identified the island,

Adult male Hog Deer injured in a road accident is treated

Taking the Hogdeer to Lunuganga island

known to locals as “Hon Duwa”, which was gazetted as a wildlife sanctuary in 1973. Over the past 18 months, the Geoffrey Bawa Trust and the Wildlife Conservation Society have been preparing the one-and-a-half acre island by growing plants that Hog Deer eat.

Dr. Tharaka Prasad of the Department of Wildlife Conservation told the Sunday Times that the island is ideal for Hog Deer as it combines scrub jungle, swamps and mangroves. The department has attempted to breed Hog Deer at the Horagolla national park, but with no results so far.

The Hog Deer is on the 2012 Red List as a critically endangered species.

Published on SundayTimes on 06.01.2013 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/130106/news/island-sanctuary-for-critically-endangered-hog-deer-27488.html