Sri Lanka has recorded the highest elephant deaths in South Asia, despite having a far smaller population than India, wildlife officials said.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) reported 397 elephant deaths by mid-December 2025, following 386 to 388 fatalities in 2024.
The year 2023 remains the deadliest on record with 488 deaths.
Sri Lanka’s wild elephant population is estimated at 6,000 to 7,000, compared with India’s 20,000 to 27,000.
Most deaths were linked to human–elephant conflict.
Elephants were killed by gunshots, illegal electric fences, train collisions, and improvised explosive devices known locally as hakka patas.
This year, 71 elephants were shot, 56 died from electrocution, 46 were killed in train accidents, and 20 were killed by hakka patas.
Two elephants died from poisoning, and one was set on fire by individuals in Seeppukulama, Mihintale. Other causes included drowning and falls into abandoned wells.
The crisis worsened after Cyclone Ditwah, Environment Deputy Minister Anton Jayakody said.
Flooding damaged electric fences and submerged wildlife areas, forcing elephants into villages.
Muddy grasslands also limited access to food, increasing human–elephant encounters.
Of the approximately 5,700 km of electric fences maintained by the ministry, 838 km were damaged during the cyclone.
About half of the damaged sections have been repaired. Deputy Director of Elephant Conservation U.L. Taufiq reported that four elephant calves died from cyclone-related flooding.
Six calves were rescued, with one released into Minneriya National Park, while others were receiving treatment at the Giritale Wildlife Office.
Officials stressed the urgent need for stronger measures to mitigate human–elephant conflict and protect the country’s remaining wild elephants.
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