Human activities kill 75 wild elephants in Sri Lanka in first seven months of 2026

The Department of Wildlife Conservation said 75 wild elephants died due to direct human activities during the first seven months of this year.

The department said shootings killed 30 wild elephants, while illegal electric fences caused 23 deaths. Nineteen elephants died after ingesting “hakka patas,” an explosive device concealed in food, while poisoning caused three deaths.

During the same period, train collisions killed two wild elephants, vehicle accidents killed four, and six died after falling into agricultural wells. Other accidents caused three deaths.

The department said a total of 180 wild elephants died during the period due to direct human activities, accidents and natural causes.

The Eastern Wildlife Zone recorded the highest number of wild elephant deaths, with 44 fatalities. The Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa wildlife zones also reported high numbers of elephant deaths.

The department added that wild elephant attacks killed 56 people during the first seven months of this year.