Sri Lanka’s Human-Elephant Conflict

Sri Lankan elephants are the largest among Asian elephants. They hold significant symbolic cultural, and economic value and are major tourist attractions in Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, Sri Lanka’s elephants have been in the news recently, and it’s not for the right reasons. A train collided with a herd of elephants, killing six in February alone this year. And, this is not the first incident. 

According to data from the Department of Wildlife Conservation, over 4,000 elephants have lost their lives since 2012, with 138 deaths resulting from train accidents alone. In October 2024, a train transporting fuel collided with a herd in Minneriya, killing two elephants. Minneriya National Park is renowned for hosting the world’s largest known gathering of Asian elephants, attracting numerous tourists. Death due to gunshots (862) and Hakka patas (735), a jaw bomb or explosive device that detonates when bit, are the main killers of elephants in Sri Lanka between 2012-2024.

In 2023, Sri Lanka recorded 488 elephant deaths  – the highest number recorded in recent years. Habitat loss due to deforestation for infrastructure development projects like roads, conversion of forests for agriculture and rapid urbanisation have disrupted elephants’ traditional migration patterns and fragmented their habitats leading to increased human-elephant conflicts.

In an effort to minimise the conflict and ensure that connectivity between elephant-inhabited areas remains, the Department of Wildlife Conservation designates forest ‘corridors’ from one protected area to another. Most often their locations are based on anecdotal, rather than scientific evidence.

However, research conducted over the last 25 years by the Centre for Conservation Research has identified that Sri Lanka’s elephants live on 60% of the island with over 40% on which they coexist with humans, outside of the Department of Wildlife protected areas. In addition to corridors, electric fencing is also used around protected areas. 

Elephants don’t understand human-made boundaries and seasonally range between areas of food and water on paths they have used for centuries. Their ‘home range’ is usually broad and short and varies depending on the region. Research shows that the more elephant-friendly habitat is degraded, the farther an elephant has to roam in search of food and water. 

“When we talk about the human-elephant conflict, most people think of elephant depredation in crop fields and villages” said Environmental Scientist and Elephant Ethologist, Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya.

Dr. Pilapitiya also noted that “tourists, safari drivers, tour operators and wildlife photographers taking their vehicles too close to elephants inside and outside National Parks is contributing to harassment of elephants which changes their behaviour into becoming more aggressive towards humans. Everyone who does this, is also contributing to increasing the human elephant conflict”.      

As travellers, it is important not to feed wild elephants (or any wild animals). There’s been a recent trend of influencers posting content feeding wild elephants that are found by the side of the road. This is not only irresponsible, but also dangerous. It can cause a change in their natural feeding behaviours, and pose safety risks to both humans and animals, exacerbating the human-elephant conflict.

The future of Sri Lanka elephants are severely under threat and we are at a pivotal point in ensuring a future for our elephants, a subspecies of the Asian elephant found nowhere else on earth.

When it comes to reducing the Human-elephant conflict, there needs to be a concerted effort by the government, tour operators, guides, tourists, locals and other relevant stakeholders in creating awareness and behavioural changes on the issue. Failure to do so could eventually lead to the local extinction of Asian elephants in Sri Lanka.