The Department of Wildlife Conservation has reported a decline in wild elephant deaths in Sri Lanka in 2024 compared to the previous year.
A total of 388 wild elephant deaths were recorded in 2024, a decrease from 488 in 2023.
The Eastern Wildlife Zone reported the highest number of fatalities last year, with 81 deaths, followed by 78 in Polonnaruwa, 53 in Anuradhapura, and 43 in Uva.
Various accidents, including poisoning, train and road accidents, and elephants falling into cultivation wells, contributed to these deaths.
Additionally, 84 elephants were shot, 56 were electrocuted, and 52 died from consuming ‘Hakka Patas,’ a homemade explosive used for illegal hunting.
Despite the reduction in elephant deaths, human fatalities due to elephant attacks remain high, with 155 reported in 2024, mainly in the Eastern and Anuradhapura Wildlife Zones.
In early January 2025, 16 elephant deaths have already been recorded, with shootings being the leading cause, resulting in five fatalities.
