LNP - Sri Lanka’s wild elephant deaths drop in 2024

The Department of Wildlife Conservation has reported that wild elephant deaths in the country decreased in 2024 compared to the previous year. According to the department, this reduction was made possible through various programs aimed at reducing wild elephant fatalities. In 2024, a total of 388 wild elephant deaths were reported, while 488 deaths were recorded in 2023. The Eastern Wildlife Zone had the highest number of elephant deaths last year, with 81 fatalities. Similarly, 78 wild elephant deaths were reported from the Polonnaruwa Wildlife Zone, 53 from the Anuradhapura Wildlife Zone, and 43 from the Uva Wildlife Zone. The department stated that these deaths were caused by various accidents, including poisoning, train accidents, road accidents, and elephanta falling into wells used for cultivation.  Among the causes, there were 84 deaths from shootings, 56 from electrocution, and 52 from consuming ‘Hakka Patas’ (a crude home-made explosive used for killing elephants and other wild animals). In 2024, a total of 155 human fatalities were reported due to wild elephant attacks. The highest number of deaths was reported in the Eastern and Anuradhapura Wildlife Zones. Meanwhile, 16 wild elephant deaths have occurred in the first few days of January this year (2025).  The Department of Wildlife Conservation stated that the majority of these deaths were caused by shootings, with five fatalities.