Four wild elephants killed in A’pura alone

By Dayaratne Embogama

Colombo, August 11 (Daily Mirror) - Around four elephants have been killed while two individuals trampled to death by wild elephants for the last three days in theAnurdhapura District, Wildlife Authorities said yesterday.

Anuradhapura Zone Asst. Director, Wildlife Department, W.M.K.S. Chandrasena told media yesterday that in the latest incident a farmer of Kotawewa in Thalawa who was attacked by a wild elephant yesterday,died at the scene. The victim Nanhamige Disanayake (66) had been watching his paddy field when he attempted to drive away a wild elephant which had roamed into the paddy field. He said on last Thursday (07) a resident of Huriwewa in Makulewa H.M.Chaminda Kumara had also been trampled to death by a jumbo.“ Meanwhile the carcasses of two wild elephants were recovered from Wahagahapura forest reserve in Kahatagasdigiliya. They have either been electrocuted or shot dead but it was yet to be established. Another carcasses of about ten year old well grown elephant , which had been electrocuted, was recovered from Penagama area in Pihimbiyagollewa on Thursday (07)”He further said the wild elephant under treatment at Ratmale in Horowpathana had died yesterday. He pointed out that the people should take precautions against any possible encounter with wild elephants when traveling through areas frequented by wild elephants.