Elephant in the Room - Sri Lanka

November 2006
Every year, as many as 65 Sri Lankans are trampled to death by wild elephants. As the country's population increases and villages edge closer to elephant habitats, this figure looks set to increase.

Ratu and his wife were chased into their house and trapped for three hours as an elephant tried to knock it down. "We only just got away." Now he sleeps on a specially built wooden platform several metres above ground. He's not alone. Hundreds of villagers do the same as more wild elephants stray into their villages because their own habitats are disappearing. In just one night, a singe hungry elephant can destroy a crop meant to feed a family for six months. As one villager laments; "There's no point putting energy into growing crops -- all we're doing is feeding elephants".

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Elephant
• room
• sri
• lanka
• feeding
• energy
• crops
• news
• documentary
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[kenna2008]

Cute asian elephants..they are more beautiful and also inteligent than African elephants!!

[mk2spin]

11:22 "They are like Gems, There is no point to country with out an Elephant"

best

[emle87]

CPCPCPPCPCPCPCP REKLAM FUCK YOUTUBE

[61meeram]

ohhh,,look @ dat baby elephetnt in end of dis video,its sooo cute,, :)

[daveforsrilanka]

people jus dont realise they're not ment 2 live there... its a national park n i think they're thre for animals, not 4 humans...

[lillatmd]

There are way too many people( 3million to 20 million? in Sri Lanka)...we need to slow down the breeding and take better care of ourselves and leave wild life to survive. There is no other answer and yet so little discussed about population growth. Only about reducing consumption...not enough. Green is weak feel good about ourselves attempt to stop all these problems. The real sacrifice is responsible human breeding.

[lillatmd]

Theres way too many people-we need to slow down the breeding..take better care of ourselves and other species

[forbasketballonly]

both of you make a point

but

its proven that these smaller poorer villages are generally much happier people than us privelidged ones.

[INTvByInosh]

are u stupid!!!

[DrAtoda]

Hey I am not sure about cuteness but Asian elephants are definitely more intelligent than african elephant.