Experts urge care in human collisions with top predator Published on SundayTimes on 14.01.2018 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/180114/news/dont-frighten-leopards-out-of-existence-277089.html Last week’s commotion over a cornered leopard reinforces the need to handle such encounters with care to prevent an escalation into intense leopard-human conflict, warn experts Andrew Kittle and Anjali Watson. A few close encounters with leopards occur every year in the hill country; last ...
An animal or plant is considered ‘extinct’, if it has not been recorded for more than a century. The Sri Lanka Emerald Spreadwing (Sinhalestes orientalis) a beautiful Damselfly that had not been recorded for 154 years and thereby considered extinct had made a re-appearance last year. According to Amila the species with its emerald body with yellow markings is easily ...
Crocodile, tortoise and pangolins were being cooked in numbers at a restaurant in Hambantota and served up to Chinese workers at Hambantota Port who had flocked to the eatery to munch on the protected fauna they viewed as delicacies. Some of the illicit meat that was found during the raid Local residents yesterday said the Hambantota restaurant had attracted crowds ...
“Rajiv is different to the new crop of wildlife photographers that Sri Lanka is producing. Firstly he doesn’t concentrate only on the national parks. Secondly he is deeply concerned about conservation,” says veteran wildlife photographer Namal Kamalgoda of Rajiv Welikala who is preparing for his maiden wildlife photographic exhibition “Wildlife Diaries: Memoirs from the Sri Lankan Wilderness”. Back to back ...
MRI researchers say since these species were known to eat the larvae of other mosquitoes, more studies being done to find out whether they could be used in the control of deadly dengue – Malaka Rodrigo Two species of mosquitoes belonging to a genus new to Sri Lanka have been discovered, scientists at the Medical Research Institute (MRI) have announced. ...
Pollution by industrial effluents, an ever present hazard for those living in the vicinity of factories The agitation for clean water in Rathupaswala has ended with deaths, injuries and damage to property. A joint investigation is being conducted by related government agencies to ascertain who is at fault for the water pollution. However, environmentalist Sajeewa Chamikara of Environmental Conservation Trust points ...
Eco-friendly, sustainable Renewable Energy like Solar Power is the way forward-Experts – By Malaka Rodrigo At a point when Sri Lanka faces a looming energy crisis, a Solar Power Plant was commissioned in Hambantota last month, to meet the electricity needs of the area. The new plant, which will add 500 kw to the national grid, has been touted ...
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/191020/news/expect-thousands-of-dual-citizens-at-election-time-374099.html published on 20.10.2019 on SundayTimes While the dual citizenship of presidential election candidates has been a hotly-debated topic in the political arena, it is expected that thousands of other “dual citizens” will be in Sri Lanka by election day in November. Exhausted Indian Pitta found fallen on 28.10.2018. Pix by Sarath N. Senanayake Some of them are eligible for ...
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/191006/news/sea-level-rising-is-real-lanka-urged-to-take-urgent-measures-to-avert-disasters-371918.html published on SundayTimes on 06.10.2019 As new global reports issue fresh warning on the impact of global warming on our oceans, how vulnerable is Sri Lanka, especially in view of it being ranked second among countries facing extreme weather patterns due to climate change? With the sea level rising, the erosion of our beaches will become worse In 2004, the ...
On the 2nd day, the official event to commemorate the World Water Day 2014 were held at UN University Conference Hall. The morning session include general speeches about the World Water Day 2014 and its theme “Water and Energy Nexus”. The occasion is also marked with the launch of World Water Development Report 2014 and presenting the ‘Water for Life’ ...
A chimp raised by zoo caretakers since its birth in 1999, after its mother refused to feed it, caused an upset this week when it bit off a finger of its beloved foster-father, Thilak Pushpakumara. Tony the chimp had become greatly attached to Pushpakumara over the years. An entertainer from his young days doing a “chimp show”, Tony stole the hearts of ...
Dharma Sri Kandamby, the unassuming ‘sir’ from Galle has inspired a host of leading wildlife conservationists in the country, reports Malaka Rodrigo Earlier this month the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle launched its first major publication “Sri Lankan Primates: An Enthusiasts’ Guide” before a gathering of the wildlife community. The book was dedicated to a man little known to the ...
A gecko has become the first creature in 2014 to join the impressive list of endemic species of Sri Lanka. The new species, discovered in Rammalakanda forest, has been named Rammale day gecko (Rammale diva huna), classified scientifically as Cnemaspis rammalensis. New species: Active during the day Unlike the common house gecko that is found hunting insects near lamps in ...
Last month, the Sunday Times highlighted that Sri Lanka’s farmers were over-using agro-chemicals, and warned that it could ultimately penetrate into the groundwater. This has now been confirmed by a study conducted by the Water Resources Board (WRB). WRB Director General R.S. Wijesekare revealed that chemical compounds such as Nitrates, Phosphates and heavy metals were found in excess in many ...
How often does one get hit by a giant whale and live to tell the tale? Sri Lankan born Dr. Bishan Rajapakse recounts his horrifying ordeal at Bondi Beach in Australia // It was a normal day on Sydney’s picturesque Bondi Beach. Bishan Rajapakse, a Sri Lankan born medical doctor was with his friends enjoying the waves and the sun ...
2011 ends and 2012 begins with the destruction of yet another mangrove forest. The past year, 2011, was declared International Year of Forests by the United Nations. The message was sent out to all countries. Sadly, this message has not been taken seriously in Sri Lanka. Last year was not a good year for forests here, and the ...
Lanka to benefit from Indo-Chinese satellite aid Sri Lanka has been selected as the first regional country along with Cambodia to benefit from space technology in early predictions of drought – and political rivals India and China are co-operating with the United Nations to develop the mechanism. News of the initiative came from a two-day forum on Space Technology Applications ...
They are a household nuisance and the sight of lines of ants marching towards food lying about can drive one crazy. But researchers from Peradeniya University studying a group of ants are excited by their discovery. The cause of the excitement was the existence of the rare endemic Sri Lankan Relict Ant (Aneuretus simoni Emery) among the sample of ants ...
Wild ponies and donkeys are now our own, says Dept. After centuries of cruel neglect the feral donkeys of Puttalam and Mannar and the famous wild ponies of Delft are to receive care, with a 100-acre sanctuary to be set up on Delft Island and a conservation area for the donkeys also under consideration. The Ministry of Wildlife Conservation, the ...
