Bhathiya Barukanda
Sri Lanka has reported a staggering 239 elephant deaths within the last eight months owing to a plethora of reasons, Wildlife Department sources said.
The deaths include 40 from gunshots, 31 from electrocution, 28 from ‘hakka patas’ , 04 from poisoning, 05 from train accidents, 06 from a road accident, 11 by drowning, and 07 from other accidents.
Further, the causes of other deaths are due to natural causes or causes that could not be identified. The majority of these deceased elephants are young, the sources added.
On the other hand, this tragedy extends beyond wildlife, as the ongoing human-elephant conflict has claimed 57 human lives so far this year.
Moreover, the sources told the Daily Mirror that the estimated wild elephant population, according to a 2011 survey, was 5,878. However, wildlife authorities now estimate the population ranges between 6,000 and 7,000, although this number is under threat with the current situation.
source:dailymirror
