These days, wild elephants on the Buttala - Kataragama road are charging and attacking vehicles.
According to eyewitness accounts of several motorists who are using this road between three to four vehicles are damaged in the wild jumbo attack each day.
It is feared that the ongoing attacks could subsequently lead to the loss of human lives since the risk is real.
Uva Provincial Assistant Director of Wildlife, D.U.S. Indrajith said that most of these wild elephants are suffering from ‘Musth’. He thoroughly warned the people to move on the road without stopping their vehicles on the road for any reason.
He said that, “This road has been declared as a prohibited area since 24.02.1939 by a special gazette notification No. 8433.
Even though it is forbidden to feed wild animals, some ignorant people park their vehicles in the forest and feed the elephants while enjoying themselves.
Because of the continuation of this habit, the wild elephants have been used to depend on food provided by the people. And, whenever they do not receive any food from the people the elephants charge at the vehicles in an aggressive manner.
So it is the utmost responsibility of people, to be aware of the danger that exists in such ignorant acts and avoid them as soon as possible for the betterment of the road users”, he said.