- 245 Elephants and 77 Humans Dead in the First Seven Months of 2025
- 44 Shootings, 38 Electrocutions, and 25 Explosive Jaw Bait (Hakka Patas) Incidents
- An Inquiry via the Right to Information Act
The relationship between humans and elephants across the globe dates back thousands of years. Ecologists point out that the human-elephant conflict has systematically emerged over time due to rapid population growth and limited land availability, resulting in the encroachment of elephant habitats by human settlements.
The elephant is a large-scale herbivore. On average, a single elephant requires approximately 150 kilograms of food and about 190 liters of water daily. To find such quantities of food and water, elephants must roam across vast territories. In this context, human-elephant conflicts have arisen worldwide due to the restriction of the land available to them. International data indicates that elephants are found in 50 countries globally; 13 in Asia and 37 in Africa. According to data obtained a few years ago, the global wild elephant population stands between 35,000 and 50,000. Of this, the number of domesticated elephants is approximately 16,000.
Is it a Human-Elephant Conflict?
In Sri Lanka, a significant number of elephant deaths and the loss of human lives due to the so-called human-elephant conflict have been reported over the past several years. However, it is questionable whether the loss of human lives should be termed a “human-elephant conflict.” People generally do not die by going into combat with elephants; rather, they are killed when elephants break into settlements and attack. While the root cause may be humanity collectively, the specific individual who falls victim may not be the one responsible. Conversely, elephants are killed not only through direct attacks by humans but also through planned entrapments.
This is an inquiry conducted under the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016 regarding the humans killed by elephant attacks and the elephants killed through slaughter and accidents within the country up to July 30, 2025.
although the Department of Wildlife Conservation conducted a census of the elephant population living in Sri Lanka’s forests in 2024, the results have not yet been released. Currently, only the results of the census conducted in 2011 are available. According to that data, there were 5,879 elephants across six regions in Sri Lanka. This number included 55 tuskers.
Accordingly, the Mahaweli region had 1,751 elephants, including six tuskers. The North Western (Wayamba) Province had 1,189 elephants, including 22 tuskers. The Southern Province had 1,086 elephants, including 13 tuskers. The Eastern Province reported 1,573 elephants with nine tuskers. The Northern Province reported 233 elephants, including four tuskers. The Central Province reported 47 elephants, including one tusker.
According to information provided by Mr. Manjula Amararatne, Director of Protected Area Management and Information Officer, in response to a request made to the Department of Wildlife Conservation under the Information Act, 245 elephants have died due to various causes during the seven-month period ending July 30, 2025. The causes listed include shootings, electrocution, Hakka Patas (explosive jaw baits), poisoning, train collisions, road accidents, drowning, falling into agricultural wells and toilet pits, parasitic worm infections, septicemia (bacterial blood infection), as well as natural deaths.
245 Elephant Victims, 77 Human Victims
Information provided by the Department of Wildlife Conservation indicates that while 245 elephants died due to various causes within the first seven months of 2025, 77 people have died during this period due to elephant attacks.
Accordingly, human casualties reported by Wildlife Zone are as follows: 06 deaths in the North Western (Wayamba) Zone, 20 in the Polonnaruwa Zone, 16 in the Eastern Zone, 04 in the Southern Zone, 01 in the Central Zone, 09 in the Uva Zone, 11 in the Anuradhapura Zone, 03 in the Vavuniya Zone, 06 in the Trincomalee Zone, and 01 in the Puttalam Zone.
The provided information also details elephant deaths by region during this period: 55 in the Eastern Zone, 36 in Polonnaruwa, 16 in the Southern Zone, 21 in the North Western (Wayamba) Zone, 13 in the Central Zone, 44 in the Anuradhapura Zone, 12 in the Vavuniya Zone, 16 in the Trincomalee Zone, 23 in the Uva Zone, 02 in the Kilinochchi Zone, and 07 in the Puttalam Zone.
Majority are Direct Killings!
Of the 245 elephants that died during the first seven months of the year, 44 were caused by shootings, as reported. The number of elephants killed by electrocution stands at 38. During this period, 25 elephants died due to Hakka Patas (explosive jaw baits), and three died due to poisoning. Train collisions claimed the lives of 13 elephants, while one elephant died due to a road accident. Three elephants died after falling into pits or wells. Two elephants died due to other accidents, while the number of deaths due to natural causes was four. Additionally, 18 elephants died due to severe wounds, 09 due to worm infections, and another 20 due to various other causes. The number of elephants that died due to unidentified causes is 65.
Among these elephant deaths, shootings, electrocutions, the use of Hakka Patas, and poisoning can be clearly classified as killings. Elephant deaths caused by train collisions, accidents, and natural causes, while not intentional, can be described as preventable deaths.
Of the 77 human deaths caused by elephant attacks in the seven months leading up to July 30, 2025, the highest number was reported from the Polonnaruwa Wildlife Zone. That number is 20. Human deaths in other wildlife zones are reported as follows: Anuradhapura 11, Trincomalee 06, Uva 09, South 04, Vavuniya 03, East 16, Central 13, North Western 06, Puttalam 01.
The deaths of elephants due to human activities, as well as the deaths of humans due to elephant attacks, repeatedly emphasize the urgent need for a suitable, sustainable program to protect the lives of both humans and elephants.
By Mohamed Asik
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