🐘 WNPS Files Legal Action Against Firearm Issuance to Civilians Amid Surge in Elephant Killings

• Legal Action & Conservation Risk: Sri Lanka's Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) initiated a Court of Appeal writ application challenging state-issued firearms to civilians. The application targets the DWC, Ministry of Defence, and Ministry of Environment to halt escalating wildlife fatalities. • Firearm Distribution Figures: • 13,207 firearms issued to farmers under crop protection schemes (stated in Parliament on March 18, 2025). • A large volume of distributed weapons remains unlicensed and unaccounted for. • 21 wild elephants shot in 7 months (Jan–Jul 2025); shootings drive ~20% of annual elephant fatalities. • Socio-Economic & Eco-Tourism Impact: • The loss of iconic tuskers like 'Bathiya' and 'Kavantissa' threatens wildlife heritage critical to eco-tourism. • Threatens enforcement under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO), converting human-wildlife conflict into a public safety hazard. • Past Precedents: In 2020, WNPS successfully challenged 6,000 firearm issuances to Civil Defence Forces, yielding a court undertaking to recall weapons—a commitment authorities recycled rather than resolved. [Crisis: Wild Elephants in Sri Lanka Invade Communities for Food](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VyZZiOondeQ) This video is relevant because it highlights the intensifying human-elephant conflict and habitat loss driving wild elephants into local communities, directly reflecting the crop protection issues discussed in the legal summary.