72 wild elephants electrocuted in Sri Lanka last year

Electrocution claimed the lives of 72 wild elephants in Sri Lanka in 2023, an increase from 50 such deaths reported in 2022, the Department of Wildlife Conservation said on Thursday.

According to the Department, the private construction of electric fences in areas affected by human-elephant conflict has resulted in such elephant deaths. The Department decided to take stern action against putting such electric fences and traps to kill wild elephants and action would be taken against the erection of substandard electric fences.

A total of 400 elephants died altogether in Sri Lanka in 2023, and about half of the deaths have occurred due to human-elephant conflicts. Sri Lanka earlier announced it would deploy 4,500 development officers to support elephant conservation efforts