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Heartbreaking photos of elephants searching for food at Sri Lanka garbage dump go viral

By
Web Desk

October 07, 2020

The open garbage dump is nestled in the jungles of the Eastern Province and poses hazards to the local elephant population, who accidentally eat microplastics in the waste. Photo: Tharmaplan Tilaxan

Stark images of elephants foraging for good at a garbage dump in Sri Lanka bagged the first prize in this year's Royal Society of Biology (RSB).

Elephants have been found with plastic products in their stomachs and non-digestive polythene after devouring rubbish at a dump in the country that encroaches on their habitat.

Jaffna-based photographer Tharmaplan Tilaxan captured the award-winning images at a facility in Oluvil.

The elephants walk through the large dump, which has waste supplied by districts including Sammanthurai, Kalmunai, Karaitheevu, Ninthavur, Addalachchenai, Akkaraipattu and Alaiyadi Vembu

The elephants face great danger from the microplastics they accidentally devour from the garbage dump.

A herd of 25 to 30 wild elephants regularly visits the open garbage dump in search of food, posing risks to their health

Waste from districts including Sammanthurai, Kalmunai, Karaitheevu, Ninthavur, Addalachchenai, Akkaraipattu and Alaiyadi Vembu is dumped there.

The elephants walk through the large dump, which has waste supplied by districts including Sammanthurai, Kalmunai, Karaitheevu, Ninthavur, Addalachchenai, Akkaraipattu and Alaiyadi Vembu

The dump is close to the forest bordering the Ampara district and is thought to be the cause of the new unhealthy behaviour.