The Director of Wildlife Conservation said that President Kumaratunga has shown a keen interest in the work of the department. The Department has a unique Elephant Foster Parent Scheme which has proved a success. A century ago, large wild elephant populations roamed the forests of Sri Lanka. Today, the situation is very different with the number of elephants quickly diminishing due to the rapid destruction of rainforests. The Asian elephant is an endangered species and urgent conservation efforts are needed to secure its survival.
Rainforests are the Asian elephant's most important habitat.