Peacocks, monkeys and deer are appearing more often in urban areas including Colombo because of habitat loss and disrupted food chains, a Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) official said.
Hasini Sarathchandra of the DWC said expanding settlements, industrialisation and development have reduced natural habitats, especially in the low-country wet zone, which includes the Kegalle and Kalutara districts. A fall in predator numbers has also removed a natural check on populations, she said, citing foxes that prey on peacock eggs.
Deer have been reported in areas such as Homagama. Sarathchandra said the population there grew from two deer brought into a household as pets.
For residents, the main concern is safety where animals bite or behave aggressively. DWC regional offices, including those in Colombo, Gampaha, Muthurajawela and Attidiya, capture animals that attack people and relocate them. Injured animals are treated at the Attidiya Wildlife Hospital, and deer are released into dry-zone national parks.
Sarathchandra said removing wildlife from urban areas entirely would be difficult.
