News
Human-elephant conflict continues to take heavy toll; 219 jumbos and 89 people so far this year
By Ifham Nizam
The Department of Wildlife Conservation has recorded 219 jumbo deaths up to August 11 this year mainly from human-elephant conflict. During the same period, 89 people were killed in elephant attacks.
A Senior Department official told The Island that 160 elephant deaths and 56 human deaths had been recorded during the same period in 2020.
Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle of Sri Lanka Convener Supun Lahiru Prakash, who is also one of the authorities on Sri Lankan elephants, told The Island that the number of deaths due to human-elephant conflicts was on the rise and alarming.
In 2020, 327 elephant deaths had been reported as against 113 human fatalities due to elephant attacks, he said.
The environmental scientist stressed that the human-elephant conflict had escalated recently and it was time the government implemented recommendations made by a team of experts, headed by eminent elephant researcher Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando.
“From 2016 to 2020, we have lost at least 1,578 elephants and the majority of them have died due to anthropogenic reasons. When compared with the 1992 – 2001 period, the present annual death rate of elephants shows about a 90 percent rise. This is a 30% increase when compared with the 2005–2010 period. It is the highest annual death rate of elephants in the world.”
A sharp decrease in the elephant home ranges and repeating the failed mitigation measures were among the factors that have led to an increase in the human-elephant conflict in the county, according to experts, Prakash said.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed a multi-stakeholder committee chaired by eminent elephant researcher Dr Prithiviraj Fernando to prepare the “National Action Plan for the Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict”, which was prepared and handed over to the government last December.
However, the government was yet to implement the proposal, Prakash said.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
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