Wild elephant mortality in Sri Lanka continues to rise as the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) intensifies, with 408 elephant deaths recorded thus far, according to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, DWC Director General Ranjan Marasinghe said that the stated figures were up to 19 December.
He added that 149 human deaths caused by encounters with elephants had also been documented during the same period.
Regionally, Anuradhapura reported the highest number of elephant deaths (85), closely followed by the eastern regions (83), reflecting the severity of HEC in dry zone areas.
Marasinghe stated that post-mortem reports were still being collated to determine the proportion of deaths directly caused by human actions, such as gunshot wounds.
According to DWC estimations, around 65–70% of Sri Lanka’s landmass is used or visited by elephants, placing large portions of the country in conflict zones. Areas including Polonnaruwa, Uva, and parts of the Southern Province continue to experience significant HEC incidents, largely driven by elephant density and human economic activities, particularly agriculture.
“HEC is not new to Sri Lanka, but the intensity has increased with evolving land usage and agricultural practices. Complete prevention is unrealistic,” Marasinghe said, noting that while the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) provided the legal framework for prosecuting wildlife offences, enforcement alone could not fully resolve the situation.
He emphasised that long-term solutions must focus on reducing human-elephant encounters and improving coexistence.
Addressing manpower constraints, Marasinghe said that the department currently had around 883 field officers authorised to enforce wildlife laws. Approximately 3,000 Civil Defence Force (CDF) officers are assisting the DWC in law enforcement and elephant electric fence maintenance, with plans to expand the force under presidential guidance.
Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody acknowledged that the HEC currently affected around 18 districts, with humans and elephants sharing about 44% of the land. Citing DWC research, he noted that while the elephant population had increased, the availability of land had progressively declined, intensifying competition for resources and space.
Jayakody said that the ministry had prioritised a comprehensive response, including habitat enrichment programmes, removal of invasive plants, and construction of water tanks and grasslands to ensure elephants had access to food and water within forests, keeping them away from human settlements.
While recent cyclone damage delayed progress in some areas, these programmes are now being implemented in the Puttalam and Hambantota Districts.
“Electrical fencing is not the permanent and only solution but rather a temporary mitigation measure,” he emphasised.
Several installations, including a 15-km stretch in Hambantota and coverage in Galewala, have been completed, but land disputes and local resistance have delayed further expansion. A significant portion of the 2026 Budget has been allocated to address remaining gaps.
Meanwhile, environmentalists warn that structural issues underlying HEC remain unresolved.
Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Chairperson Hemantha Withanage said: “The main cause for HEC lies in forest destruction, land encroachment, and the loss of elephant corridors, rather than elephants themselves.”
He stressed that elephants would continue to migrate near human settlements and agricultural areas unless forest ecosystems and habitats were preserved.
Withanage also highlighted that unregulated farming and land encroachment, often linked to commercial seasonal cultivation, had drastically reduced wildlife habitats, forcing elephants and other species into villages and farmlands, escalating conflict.
He noted that the CEJ had previously submitted policy proposals to address the HEC through habitat conservation and integrated land-use planning, including agroecology and high-density farming methods, many of which were yet to be implemented.