Aug 31, Colombo: Sri Lanka Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Champika Ranwaka says that the Ministry needs Rs. 10 billion per year for the management of wild elephants in the country. However, the Ministry receives only Rs. 3 billion for all its work, the Minister says.

The Minister also pointed out that the shortage of tamed elephants would be a problem in future since there are only 137 tamed elephants while there are 72 famous cultural pageants per year countrywide.

The Minister said that Sri Lanka has only 17 tuskers among the 3,000 strong elephant population. Of those elephants only 1,200 live in lands belonged to the Department of Wild Life.

Addressing a function at the Grand Oriental Hotel, the Minister said that Burma has 3,000 tamed elephants among its 6,000 strong elephant population.