Sri Lanka, Aug. 27 -- Sri Lanka is preparing to mark World Wildlife Day 2026 amid growing concerns over the exploitation of medicinal and aromatic plants, raising questions over whether existing laws and enforcement are strong enough to prevent the country's valuable biodiversity from being depleted.

This year's World Wildlife Day theme, "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods," highlights the increasing threat faced by species that are commercially exploited for medicinal and cosmetic products.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation says millions of organisms are used to meet human demand, while several medicinal and aromatic species in Sri Lanka are increasingly threatened because of their high co...