Wildlife officials, veterinary teams, the Sri Lanka Army and police have mounted a joint operation to save a wild elephant that collapsed after suddenly falling ill in the Samanthurai area of the Ampara District, the Daily Mirror and Hiru News reported.
The male animal is estimated to be between 25 and 30 years old and was in good general condition before it fell ill — well nourished, with no external injuries visible.
A swollen abdomen points to poisoning or polythene
What has alarmed the veterinarians is the elephant’s abnormally swollen abdomen. The Daily Mirror reports that this has raised concerns about possible poisoning, or a severe gastrointestinal blockage caused by ingesting non-degradable polythene.
Both are recurring causes of elephant deaths in Sri Lanka, where animals foraging near settlements and open dumps swallow plastic waste that cannot pass through the gut.
Veterinary teams from the Eastern Region Wildlife Veterinary Unit, with officers from the Ampara Wildlife Range Office and the Samanthurai Beat Office, are coordinating treatment. Essential antibiotics were administered on 22 October.
Rain is working against the rescue
Heavy rainfall in the area has flooded the ground around the spot where the elephant is lying, hampering the operation. Crews are laying sand to raise the ground so that treatment can continue.
The Army has deployed 10 personnel to assist the Department of Wildlife Conservation, and police are providing operational support.
The rain is not incidental: the Meteorological Department has warned of continued showers across the east, and a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is forecast to intensify in the coming days.
Context
The case comes the same week the government announced special training for military personnel in elephant protection and joint raids to curb wildlife crime. Human-elephant conflict remains one of Sri Lanka’s most persistent conservation problems, killing both people and elephants each year.
Not reported
Neither filing says when the elephant first collapsed, how long it has been under treatment, or what its current condition is. No veterinarian is named or quoted, no test results have been reported, and neither account says whether samples have been taken to confirm poisoning or a blockage. Nothing is said about the animal’s chances of survival.