146 humans, 814 elephants killed

• the expenditure on paying  compensation for the victims and damages caused to property had  increased in a large proportion
• several wild elephants had been run  over by trains and some drowned in unprotected wells

By Dayaratne Embogama   

The death rate in the human-elephant conflict has been increasing in a large proportion every year.   
Senior officials of the Wildlife Conservation Department  told the media in Anuradhapura that 146 villagers had been killed by  wild elephants last year. At least 375 wild elephants had been killed  in 2021 and 439 in 2022.   
They said wild elephants were being killed by laying  electric traps, ‘Hakka Patas’ explosive device, and spiked planks and  by poisoning. The officials said several wild elephants had been run  over by trains and some drowned in unprotected wells.   

They pointed out that the expenditure on paying  compensation for the victims and damages caused to property had  increased in a large proportion and that the allocations had increased after 2016.   

Meanwhile, constructing and maintaining electric fences,  carrying out raids to drive away wild elephants, and supplying elephant  crackers cost the government more than Rs. 200 million a year.   

Directors of the Wildlife Conservation Department Manjula  Amararatne, Ranjan Marasinghe, Anuradhapura Zonal Director  W.M.K.Gunawardene and Environmentalist Dr. Jagath Gunawardene were  present at the occasion.