(UCAN)The tragic death of one of Sri Lanka’s largest tusker elephants reportedly due to electrocution has raised concern and suspicion among environmentalists in the island nation.
Deega Danthu 1 was found dead last week after being fatally entangled in an illegal electric fence at the Kalawewa National Park, a wildlife warden said.
Police are investigating and looking to identify and arrest the person responsible for setting up the unauthorized electric line.
“We suspect the elephant was killed for its tusks,” environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella said at a press conference on Dec. 1.
He said elephants have been found dead “for the same reason in the past but despite repeated complaints, authorities have remained silent.”
Deega Danthu 1 was a key attraction for tourists. Known for its long tusks and gentle nature, the 45 to 50-year-old tusker had been relocated to the national park due to flooding from the Kala Wewa reservoir.
Buddhist monks conducted the funeral rites for Deega Danthu 1 as members of the local community expressed their sorrow by offering alms and participating in the rituals.
Ranwella expressed concern over the safety of elephants despite them being revered across Buddhist and Hindu temples in the nation.
Elephants are tamed and paraded during important festivals including an annual procession to honor the sacred tooth relic of Buddha in Kandy during July and August.
Surin Mallawadeniya, another environmentalist, said the authorities had failed to find a sustainable solution to protect elephants.
“The wild elephant population will one day be wiped out from our country due to increasing human-animal conflicts,” he told UCA News on Dec. 3.
Mallawadeniya said he had written to the Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Ministry to ensure protection for protected species like elephants.
“Elephant deaths due to electrocution have increased,” he said.
Between 2011 and 2022, Sri Lanka recorded 3,913 elephant deaths, with 239 occurring in the last eight months (2024), according to official data.
The deaths were caused by a number of factors, including 40 from gunshots, 31 from electrocution, and 28 from explosive devices.
The country also witnessed significant human-elephant conflict, which led to 57 human fatalities so far this year.
An estimated 5,800 elephants roam Sri Lanka’s protected habitats, including wetlands, grasslands, and shrublands. Elephants typically cover an average of 48 kilometers daily, staying near fresh water.
Isuru Tharanganee, a 55-year-old from Polonnaruwa, said the primary reason wild elephants are entering villages is the reduction in the forest cover across the country.
“Large-scale development projects and deforestation, along with clearing of forests for commercial agriculture, are causing elephants to lose their food sources,” he said.
The Department of Wildlife allows electric fences to prevent elephant movement into human habitations and also supplies elephant bullets free of charge in places where elephants pose a threat to human life.
