Conservation group seeks court order to stop civilian firearm distribution

COLOMBO — Sri Lanka's oldest conservation organization has turned to the courts in an urgent bid to restrict civilian access to firearms, citing a sharp rise in wild elephant deaths linked to the weapons distribution policy.

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) filed the writ application before the Court of Appeal, contending that the state's issuance of firearms to civilians has coincided with an unprecedented surge in elephant slaughter across the island nation.

The legal challenge represents an escalation of concerns raised by conservation advocates over the past months regarding the impact of increased firearm availability on Sri Lanka's elephant population. Wildlife experts have attributed mounting elephant casualties to poaching and human-wildlife conflict incidents involving gun-wielding civilians.

The WNPS, a leading voice in environmental protection efforts locally, argues that halting the distribution of firearms to civilians is essential for reversing the trend and protecting the country's dwindling elephant herds. The Court of Appeal's decision on the writ application is expected to have significant implications for both wildlife management and civilian firearms policy in Sri Lanka.

Elephants remain a protected species under Sri Lankan law, yet poaching and conflict-related deaths have claimed increasing numbers of animals in recent years, prompting renewed calls for stricter enforcement and policy changes.