The human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka has claimed 143 lives — both elephants and people — in the first four months of 2026, with 108 wild elephants and 35 humans killed through April 25, according to Department of Wildlife Conservation data published Thursday.
A senior DWC official told Daily Mirror that 16 elephants died from gunshot injuries, 14 from electrocution, nine from “hakka patas” — explosives concealed in food — and five in train collisions. The remaining deaths were attributed to natural causes or unidentified factors. Most of the dead elephants were juveniles.
The Eastern Province accounts for the majority of elephant fatalities. The figures equate to roughly one death per day across the four-month window, sustaining a trend of high losses on both sides of the conflict that has persisted for several years.
The data follows the Court of Appeal’s order in late April for the DWC and Wildlife Department to expand fence construction and other mitigation measures. Three civilian deaths from wild elephant attacks in early April prompted earlier calls for accelerated relocation of problem herds. The suspicious death of bull elephant Sujeewa underscored concerns over deliberate killings, while wildlife enforcement has continued to intercept poaching activity around national parks.
The DWC has not yet announced a revised conflict-mitigation plan in response to the April figures.
Source: Daily Mirror.
