Sri Lanka has pledged to take urgent action to curb deadly clashes between villagers and wild elephants, following reports that nearly 1,200 people and over 3,500 elephants have died in the past decade.
Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi told parliament on Thursday that the government would expand electrified fencing and deploy additional personnel to prevent elephant raids on villages near wildlife sanctuaries. “We are increasing funding to address the human-elephant conflict and hope to mitigate the situation soon,” he stated.
Between 2015 and 2024, 1,195 people and 3,484 elephants lost their lives due to these conflicts. The crisis continued into this year, with three human and 43 elephant fatalities reported in January alone.
Opposition lawmaker Nalin Bandara described the figures as “shocking” and urged authorities to ensure both human safety and wildlife protection. He also highlighted the financial burden of the crisis, noting that the government had spent approximately $11.6 million over a decade to dispose of elephant carcasses, while compensation for victims totaled around $4 million.
Elephants, considered a national treasure in Sri Lanka due to their cultural and religious significance, are legally protected from harm. The island nation is home to around 7,000 wild elephants, but conflicts persist as farmers struggle to defend their crops. In response, some elephants have been electrocuted, shot, poisoned, or even killed using explosive-laced fruits, leading to agonizing deaths.
Railway accidents also pose a significant threat. Just last week, seven elephants—including four calves—were fatally struck by an express train in the eastern Habarana region, marking the deadliest such incident in Sri Lanka’s history.
The Asian elephant is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with an estimated 26,000 living in the wild, primarily in India. In their natural habitat, they typically live for 60 to 70 years.
