Elephant deaths surge due to govt misinformation: Researcher

Over the last five years nearly 5,000 elephants killed

Over 100 elephants killed in the first months of this year 

The increase in elephant deaths has been influenced by wrong measures being taken by the current government and the word being spread on social media, presenting falsehoods, Wild elephant researcher Sameera Weerathunga said.   

Addressing the media during a petition signing campaign conducted in front of the Colombo Fort Railway Station yesterday against the killing of elephants he said with compared to the year 2024 there is a significant increase of elephant deaths in the year 2025.   

Most of the elephants were killed by shootings, and the use of Hakka patas and illegal electric fences. The main reason for the killings is the fearlessness of people who are killing these elephants, They do not care about the law and are handling the human elephant conflict in a wrong angle. It has become a trend to killing elephants and tuskers under the guise of the human elephant conflict. Accordingly, a huge number of elephants are being killed in the North western and North central provinces daily.   

With the increase of this killing trend, people wont be able to see tuskers in the future.   

meanwhile, the convener of the Society for Conservation of Wild Elephants Saranga Deva de Alwis told media that with the increase of the number of elephant deaths day by day, it is time to put a stop to this menace immediately,   
During the past five years nearly 5,000 elephants had been killed and more than 100 elephants have been killed in the first months of this year.  

Therefore, with the objective of launching a strict policy in the country the Society for Conservation of Wild Elephants in Sri Lanka has decided to inform the president in our efforts to give a voice to the voiceless elephants.   
The government should consider all action plans submitted by those involved in elephant conservation programmes to create a suitable action plan to stop the  killings, the elephant activists said.