Sri Lankan Elephant Sindu's Paintings on Sale at SriLankan

23rd February 2011, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka's state-run national carrier SriLankan airlines said it will sell paintings by an elephant through the in flight duty free sales collection.

The paintings are drawn by Sindu an elephant at the Temple of the Tooth Relic in the central Sri Lankan city of Kandy. The elephants paints with a brush held in its trunk, the airline said.

The airline also offers a Batik wall hanging depicting the Kandy perahera, an annual procession where elephants, drummers, dancers, torch and flag bearers weave through city streets watched by thousands of onlookers and tourists.

Image Courtesy: www.ft.lk

Sri Lanka's Former War Zone to turn into Elephant Sanctuary. Jungles of Mullaittivu Declared a Safe Haven for Wildlife

30th November 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Sri Lanka is to turn a vast jungle area that was a base for the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels into a wildlife sanctuary, 18 months after the end of island's bloody civil war, the government said Tuesday.

The jungles of Mullaittivu, from where the rebels launched attacks for decades until they were defeated by government troops last year, has been declared a safe haven for wild animals, the information department said.

"The wildlife sanctuary would be a solution for the conflict between the humans and elephants in the surrounding areas," it said in a statement, adding the sanctuary would be about 100,000 acres (40,500 hectares).

Spreading human settlement has left elephants short of habitat in Sri Lanka, with the animals often entering villages and farms looking for food.

Sri Lanka's elephant population has dwindled to about 4,000 from about 12,000 in 1900, according to wildlife officials.

400-Herd of Elephants at Minneriya National Park, North-East Sri Lanka

30th July 2010, www.news.lk

The Minneriya National Park has become a popular tourist destination. The number of foreigners visiting the Minneriya National Park is on the increase and more than 120 foreigners visit the park each day and this number doubles during the weekends. A similar increase is also shown in the number of local tourists visiting the Park.

The daily income of the park has increased to Rs 300,000, and steps are being taken to popularize the park and further increase the income.

A prominent tourist attraction to the park is the possibility of citing of elephants and the Park officials say that more than 400 herds of elephants can be seen on the banks of Minneriya wewa during this season. These herds of elephants come to the banks of the
Minneriya to have fresh grass.

Spread over 8890 hectares, the park is located 182 Km away from Colombo. The Government declared it as a national park in 1997.

Sri Lanka Showcases Kalpitiya Tourism Project. Sites Selected for Platforms in Lahugala and Kumana to view Elephants and Birds

04th May 2010, www.island.lk, By Mario Andree

Tourism is gaining at a rapid pace and the recent past has seen some positive indicators for the boost which Sri Lanka hopes to achieve by 2016.

In order to showcase another beautiful Sri Lankan spot, as well as increase room capacity, it is necessary to expedite the development of the Kalpitiya Integrated Tourism Resort Project (KITRP) at the Dutch Bay Islands, an official said. Therefore, six investors in Kalpitiya have been requested to set up two hoardings on their lands in Kalpitya, which will display the layout of their hotel as per their concept, according to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

They will also construct an abstract model of an accommodation unit (guest room/villa/chalet) to scale, using the materials anticipated for the construction of their hotel.

This presentation will showcase the new designs and concepts being developed by Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, as well as help monitor the quality of workmanship and standards being followed prior to the final approval of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority for construction, SLTDA data showed.

These model units will be constructed before the end of this year with the investments from; Heritage Reserves (Pvt) Ltd, Dutch Bay Resorts, West Agro Property Developers (Pvt) Ltd, Palm Lanka Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, M. S. A Sham Saudeen Development & Reality (Pvt) Ltd and Alpha Tours (Pvt) Ltd, data showed.

Also, the SLTDA said many resorts in the Eastern province are well in progress and construction of the washrooms and changing rooms in the Passikudah Resort commenced last month and will be completed in August.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the Resort was published for public comments until April 15. Upon approval of the EIA Report by the CCD, work of the resort will begin. Approval has been granted by the CCD for a pilot hotel project consisting of 40 chalets.

The Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the development of Kuchchavelli is being carried out.

Investors for the development of 48 hotels sites have been selected; the land will be allotted accordingly. Around 150 acres will be developed as a championship golf course.

The Project Implementation Unit for the East Coast Action Plan identified sites for the following development projects,

= Observation platform to view elephants at Lahugala

= Observation platform to view birds at Kumana

SLTDA also awarded star ratings to nine hotels this year during the period of January 1 to April 30.

Four hotels received 1-star category under the programme; they were Full Moon Green Hotel Seeduwa which has 30 rooms, Kandyan Reach Hotel Kurunegala with 23 rooms, Randiya Hotel Moratuwa with 10 rooms and Emarald Bay Induruwa with 50 rooms in the capacity.

Also three hotels were awarded two stars which are Yapahuwa Paradise Yapahuwa with 20 rooms, Browns Beach Hotel Negombo with 140 rooms, Induruwa Beach Induruwa with 90 rooms in their capacity.

The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya and Hilton Residencies Colombo were awarded four stars.

Related Info :
• Sri Lanka Presentations - Tourism Related Developments

Massive Elephant Conservation Drive in Sri Lanka to Protect Remaining Wild Elephants in Forests Islandwide

26th October 2009, www.spot.lk

A massive wild elephant conservation program to protect the remaining 6,000 wild elephants in forest areas islandwide has been launched by the Wildlife Department.

Accordingly, the Department is expected to keep a close tab on elephants moving from their original territories to other areas where there are human settlements. Department statistics reveal that a record number of 3,800 wild elephants are currently living in the Wayamba forest areas and in the Mahaweli Zone.

Wildlife Department, Elephant Conservation Program, Deputy Director W.S.K. Pathiratna told the Sunday Observer that nearly 160 wild elephants who lived in various forest areas had died during the year.

Records also show that nearly 225 elephants had died during 2008.

It is reported that most of these deaths occurred not due to natural causes, but as a result of human-elephant conflicts.

According to the senior official, shootings, train accidents, getting entangled in death traps and electrified fences are the main reasons for the untimely deaths of many elephants.The Department also revealed that a large number of elephants in war-affected areas had lost their lives in the past, but this situation has drastically changed, especially with the cessation of the war.Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said due to various measures taken by his Ministry through the `Elephant Conservation Program’, the untimely deaths of elephants have been controlled to a great extent.

Picture courtesy: www.freeelephantpictures.com