PALLAKKADU, Sri Lanka (AP) — Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants in the region, after two more were found dead over the weekend.
Summary
- Elephants dying from eating plastic waste in Sri Lankan dumpPALLAKKADU, Sri Lanka (AP) — Conservationists and veterinarians are warning that plastic waste in an open landfill in eastern Sri Lanka is killing elephants in the region, after two more were found dead over the weekend.
- “Polythene, food wrappers, plastic, other non-digestibles and water were the only things we could see in the post mortems.
- Elephants are revered in Sri Lanka but are also endangered.
- In 2017, the government announced that it will recycle the garbage in dumps near wildlife zones to prevent elephants from consuming plastic waste.
- There are 54 waste dumps in wildlife zones around the country, with around 300 elephants roaming near them, according to officials.