397 elephants die in Sri Lanka in 2025, human-elephant conflict a major cause

By Charithya Kumarasiri

Colombo, Dec. 18 (Daily Mirror) - The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has reported a total of 397 elephant deaths in 2025, with the majority linked to human-elephant conflicts, underscoring the growing severity of the issue across the country.

DWC official Hasini Sarathchandra told Daily Mirror that many deaths were directly caused by human activities. Of the total fatalities, 71 elephants were shot, 56 died due to electrocution, 46 were killed in train accidents, and 20 died after detonating hakka patas explosives. Two elephants succumbed to poisoning.

Other environmental and conflict-related factors also contributed to the toll, with four elephants drowning and eight falling into abandoned wells.

Region-wise, the Eastern Wildlife Region recorded the highest number of deaths with 82 cases, followed by the Anuradhapura Wildlife Region with 77 and the Polonnaruwa Wildlife Region with 69.

The DWC highlighted the urgent need for measures to mitigate human-elephant conflicts and protect the country’s elephant population.