Sri Lanka faces deadly human-elephant conflict due to habitat loss

Sri Lanka is experiencing a severe human-elephant conflict driven by shrinking forest habitats. Since 2019, an average of 138 people have been killed annually in encounters with wild elephants, representing the second-highest death toll in the world.

The impact on elephant populations is even more significant. Forced into villages to find food, elephants have died at an average rate of 402 per year during the same period, the highest rate globally. In 2023, elephant deaths reached a record high of 488, according to the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Causes of death include poisoning, electrocution, train accidents, being shot, or falling into wells.

In regions like Galgamuwa, wildlife officers utilize electric fences to protect local villages. Residents note that the conflict has intensified over the last two decades as forests were cleared, bringing animals into closer proximity to human settlements. This conflict poses a challenge to the island's $4 billion tourism industry and its deep cultural ties to the animals.