Sri Lanka's Ministry of Environment will deploy veterinary officers from the military to maintain emergency wildlife care services as wildlife veterinarians continue industrial action over longstanding workplace grievances.

The Ministry of Environment has decided to engage veterinary personnel from Sri Lanka's armed forces to sustain emergency treatment services for injured and distressed wildlife, following a work-to-rule campaign initiated by wildlife veterinary officers. According to the Ministry, the strike action has created significant obstacles in delivering after-hours care for wild animals, including services needed during weekends and public holidays.

Wildlife veterinary officers have pursued industrial action based on concerns that have remained unaddressed for over a decade. Their key demands include the establishment of five additional Grade I positions within their service cadre, compensation in the form of extended hours allowances, and the creation of adequate support staff infrastructure to assist with their duties.

The Ministry indicated that ongoing negotiations have been held to address the veterinarians' concerns and that attempts have been made to respond to their requests. However, the persistence of the work-to-rule campaign suggests that a resolution remains elusive. The deployment of military veterinarians represents an interim measure to prevent disruption to wildlife medical services while discussions continue.