Seventeen humans, 49 jumbos killed in Polonnaruwa during first half of 2022

By Karunarathne Gamage

Forty nine elephants had been killed in the Polonnaruwa District between 01 January and 30 June 2022, Wildlife Department officials said. They said during the same period 17 persons had also died due to the human-elephant conflict.

The officials pointed out that the deaths of both humans and elephants had increased significantly compared to the first six months of last year. Thirty six elephants were killed in the District between 01 January and 30 June 2021. Nine humans too were killed by elephants in the same period.

Most of the elephant deaths were caused by illegal and unauthorised human activity, the Department officials said.

“In Sri Lanka 70% of elephant ranges lie outside of protected areas and therefore these are the spaces where human–elephant encounters turn hostile and problematic,” the Wildlife officials said.

“Sri Lanka is a special case because of the high intensity of human–elephant interactions outside of protected areas,” a Polonnaruwa District Wildlife Department official said.Wild elephants raiding homesteads in search of fodder is a big problem in Polonnaruwa, he said.

“According to our statistics, in 2017, the department paid Rs. 44,273,401 to 1,350 persons by way of compensation for damages due to the human-elephant conflict. We have paid Rs. 45,500,000 as compensation for 105 human deaths, and Rs 4,432,407 for 74 for injury damage,” he said. In 2021, 141 people and 369 elephants were killed in due to the human-elephant conflict.