August 11, Colombo (LNW): The Government is preparing to strengthen the legal framework governing captive elephants, including animals used in traditional cultural and religious pageants, as part of a broader effort to improve elephant welfare.
The Ministry of Environment has appointed a committee headed by its Additional Secretary for Policy, Legal Reforms and Parliamentary Affairs to examine the proposed 2026 Registration and Licensing of Elephants Regulations.
The draft legislation was prepared by the Department of Wildlife Conservation and is intended to establish clearer requirements for the registration, licensing and management of captive elephants.
The newly appointed committee will assess the proposed regulations and submit recommendations to the Ministry, with particular attention expected to be given to animal welfare and the conditions and procedures surrounding the use of elephants at religious and cultural events.
The Ministry has said that appropriate legal measures will be introduced without delay once the committee completes its review.
The initiative forms part of a wider Government programme aimed at strengthening elephant conservation while addressing the increasingly complex relationship between wildlife and communities living near elephant habitats.
As part of these efforts, authorities have introduced a new initiative at the Pinnawala Elephant Conservation Centre described by the Government as Asia’s first ‘Free Elephant Sanctuary’. Under the programme, male elephants undergoing musth are released from chains and allowed to move within a more natural setting.
Musth is a naturally occurring period of heightened hormonal activity in adult male elephants, during which their behaviour can become more unpredictable and difficult to manage. The sanctuary is intended to provide the animals with greater freedom and improved welfare during this period.
Officials have stressed that elephant conservation must extend beyond the protection of wild herds and their habitats, with greater attention also required for the welfare and responsible management of captive animals.
Other measures under the Government’s broader elephant conservation programme include restoring wildlife corridors, improving access to food and water within forest reserves, strengthening field-level wildlife protection and introducing additional safeguards to reduce elephant deaths caused by train collisions.
Taken together, the measures are aimed at reducing conflict between people and elephants while improving the management and protection of one of Sri Lanka’s most important wildlife species for generations to come.
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