Sri Lanka reiterates its commitment to combat illegal trafficking of wildlife – the government intensifies its fight against poaching

Following a statement by the H.E. Ambassador Sabarullah Khan, Chargé d᾽ Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, the island is ready and committed to combatting the large scale illegal trafficking of wildlife that has plagued various parts of Sri Lanka. National Parks have been the hardest hit with large scale poaching of elephants, deer, wild boar and especially, leopards. The high level of organized illegal trafficking has had a devastating impact on low income communities in these areas and long lasting effects to the already delicate eco-system. Sri Lankan’s are becoming more aware of the importance of protecting wildlife for both the environment and economy, through Eco- friendly ventures like the Mahoora Tented Safari Camp Sri Lanka for example. Ambassador Khan further added that the country’s policy on wildlife conservation has been restructured to react to the growing needs of Sri Lankan society.