By Charles Haviland BBC News, Colombo

	Most parts of Sri Lanka suffer from human-elephant conflict

Each year about 200 elephants and 60 people perish in the conflict between man and beast.

The number of elephants nationwide has dwindled to about 4,000.

Most parts of Sri Lanka suffer from human-elephant conflict.

Wildlife experts say it happens as people encroach ever more into the animals’ natural habitat.

It means misery for farmers, who often lost much of their crop to elephants and live in fear.

Wildlife reserve

Last month regular forces were deployed to help drive elephants into the jungle and set up protective measures like electric fences in one area of northern Sri Lanka.

3000 civil defence force personnel will be trained under the Wildlife Department and deployed in areas where conflicts have taken place between elephants and humans. This force will be deployed to safeguard the paddy fields, save elephants and stop illegal woodcutting and the killing of animals Minister DM Chandrasena

The operation is now being expanded but using a paramilitary volunteer force, as the wildlife minister, SM Chandrasena, has been telling parliament.

"3000 civil defence force personnel will be trained under the Wildlife Department and deployed in areas where conflicts have taken place between elephants and humans. This force will be deployed to safeguard the paddy fields, save elephants and stop illegal woodcutting and the killing of animals," he says.

They are being trained to start their work soon. An opposition MP has voiced the fear that their deployment will result in more elephant deaths.

The minister says this will not happen as the forces would not have firearms, although they will have devices to scare animals away.

Recently the government said it would transform Sri Lanka’s final war zone into a wildlife reserve, in part to help with elephant conservation.

But experts say elephants have a homing instinct which means they can’t easily be sedated and moved to new places.