News
More Wildlife Range Offices and vets to tackle frequent leopard attacks
By Ifham Nizam
Plans are underway to establish new Range Offices and station Veterinary Surgeons, in the Wet Zone, particularly targeting Adam’s Peak and Nallathaniya, where leopard attacks are taking place frequently- the Wildlife Conservation Department said yesterday, following an attack on a veterinarian by a leopard a few days back.
A Department spokesman told The Island that it was not a serious attack and all officers were covered under a government insurance scheme and the officer would be entitled to relevant compensation for it.
Speaking to journalists, Wildlife veterinarian Dr. Malaka Abeywardana considered himself lucky, after he was attacked by an injured leopard.
Abeywardana had been attending to a leopard, trapped in a snare, inside the Yala National Park, when he was attacked by the animal he was treating.
“We tried to tranquilize the leopard. At once, it broke off the snare and jumped at me. This all took place in a matter of seconds. After attacking me, the leopard ran back in to the jungle,” adding that it was not the first time that he had a brush with death, involving a wild animal.
Leopard expert, researcher Rajika Gamage termed the attack as a minor accident.
He also said that only 20 percent of the leopard deaths reported, though some claim that the deadly improvised explosive device hakka patas is not used as earlier. He believes that when it is used on a large scale one also sees the deaths of many wild boars, in the up country.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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