COLOMBO, Jan 12 (NNN-SLNEWS) – The highest number of elephant deaths in Sri Lanka’s history occurred in 2019, when 361 deaths were recorded, local media quoted the Centre for Environment and Nature Studies, as saying.
Media reports said that, over 100 people were killed in the human-elephant conflict in the same period.
Killing wild elephants is an offence, punishable by death, in Sri Lanka, but there have been regular reports of angry villagers poisoning or shooting marauding jumbos.
According to official records, the current population of wild elephants in Sri Lanka is about 7,500.
The Elephant Corridor ranges from Kalawewa to Habarana in North Central Sri Lanka.
The area where elephant deaths occurred is part of the proposed “Elephant Corridor,” in the Elephant Management Plan of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), officials said.
Villagers use electric fences to contain intruding elephants, and according to DWC Director General, M.G.C. Sooriyabandara, they might also be poisoning the elephants.
