Human-Elephant conflict claims 44 pachyderms, ten people

By Dayaratne Embogama 

Statistics of the Department of Wildlife have indicated that  44 wild elephants and ten individuals have died due to the human-elephant  conflict in Anuradhapura so far this year.

Director Wildlife, Anuradhapura Zone Kirthi Chandraratne  said most of the wild elephants were either electrocuted after stepping on electric traps or killed by Hakka Patas explosions.He said  the cause of death in case of eleven wild elephants could not be  determined due to the decomposed state of their carcasses. The official said  the deaths of wild elephants had been reported mostly from Horowpothana,  Kahatagasdigiliya, and Nochchiyagama areas.   

The Zonal Director of Wildlife said that ten individuals  had been killed by jumbos and that Rs.05 million has been paid as  compensation for loss of life, physical disability, and damage to  property in the human-elephant conflict for the year, and that steps  would be taken at the next Compensation Committee to pay compensation  for 
the rest.