Tense situation after individual dies in wild elephant attack

A tense situation arose at Kohombagaswewa in Mahakumbukkadawala this morning after a 40-year-old father of one was killed in a wild elephant attack. 

The victim, who worked in a garment factory, had been on his way to work in a motorbike when he was set upon by the elephant. 

Following his death, over 1000 persons blocked the road at the site of the attack for over two hours, demanding that authorities take steps to prevent attacks by wild elephants. 

The demonstrators also protested in front of the Mahakumbukkadawala Divisional Secretariat and in front of the Puttalam Wildlife Office. 

The crowd only dispersed after a team of wildlife officers was dispatched to capture and relocate the wild elephant that alllegedly attacked and killed the victim. 

Area residents charged that six persons in the Mahakumbukkadawala area have been killed in wild elephant attacks during the past few months. 

Text and Pix by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe in Puttalam