News
Electric jolts finishing off elephants by the dozen
View(s):By D.Thiviyatharshini
The destruction of human and elephant lives, and property has continued unabated over five years, according to data from wildlife authorities. Electrocution has become the biggest killer of elephants.
According to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), in 2020 and 2021, the largest number of elephants died from ‘Hakka Pattas’ (jaw bombs) and gunshot. From 2022 to April 9, this year most elephants died by gunshot and electrocution. Electrocution emerged as the single most frequent killer, rising from 31 incidents in 2020 to over 72 by 2023. There was another 18 cases in the first quarter of 2025. There was a decline in 2024 from 72 to 56.
Gunshot wounds trailed closely behind, climbing from 43 in 2020 to 58 in 2022, with an additional 22 fatalities in early 2025.
These two human-driven causes now account for nearly half of all elephant deaths. Poisoning (15 to 29 cases annually) and train collision (10 to 14 cases annually) contribute further, while road accidents, septicaemia, and infected wounds appear less frequently.
Also, compared with 2020 to 2021, in the next three years, death by train accident has risen.
This points to the need for targeted interventions, upgrading electric fences and rail crossing deterrents in high-risk corridors, and community involvement.
Each year, about 100 to 115 deaths go unclassified as well. According to DWC, those may be natural deaths. Usually, when they find a decomposed carcass in the forest, there is no way to identify the reason through a post-mortem.
From 2020 to 2025, the highest number of humans died in Anuradhapura and the second highest in Polonnaruwa. This reflects that most deaths occurred in the North Central province.
From 2020 to early 2025, the Eastern Province, particularly the Ampara district, has recorded 82 deaths, and Batticaloa has reported a significant number of deaths.
A significant number of human deaths occur in Uva province, particularly in the Monaragala district.
In northern provinces, comparatively the death rate is low. In contrast, several districts recorded zero to one death annually, suggesting either few elephant attacks or more effective mitigation measures.
Property loss is high in North Central province. In Anuradhapura, property losses drastically increased from 2020 to 2024, respectively, from 165 to 1,029. In Polonnaruwa, there was a slight drop from 542 in 2020 to 509 in 2024. Property loss islandwide has increased from 2,223 in 2020 to 3,759 in 2024.
According to Dr. S. Wijeyamohan, member IUCN Asian Elephant Specialist Group, Polonnaruwa is in the Mahaweli region and home to the highest number of elephants. Numbers are high in Anuradhapura too.
“A high number of elephants, the highest amount of cultivation and forest patches, this is a deadly equation, which is why the conflict rate is also high,” said Dr.Wijeyamohan.
If the length of the electric fences also increases, it will induce the conflict to the next level. Many people want a fence surrounding their gardens, farms, or habitat. Over time, they will increasingly insist on having these fences, he said.
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