Two More Killed in Wild Elephant Attacks as Sri Lanka’s Human-Elephant Conflict Continues

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Two people have been killed in separate wild elephant attacks in rural Sri Lanka within 24 hours, highlighting the continuing risks posed by the country’s long-running human-elephant conflict.

A 77-year-old man was fatally attacked by a wild elephant while standing outside his home in Thammitagama, Meegalewa, on the night of September 24, according to police.

In a separate incident, a 61-year-old man was killed in Ranvirugammānaya, Aralaganwila. Police said initial investigations indicated that he was returning home after working as a fisherman at Pimburattewa Reservoir.

Police in Meegalewa and Aralaganwila are investigating the two deaths.

The latest incidents come amid a continuing deadly human-elephant conflict across Sri Lanka. According to figures released by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, 208 wild elephants had died and 91 people had been killed in human-elephant conflict incidents as of September 2026. 

The department has warned that prevailing dry weather is increasing the movement of wild elephants as they search for food and water, potentially bringing them closer to human settlements. 

Sri Lanka’s Parliament has also called for an urgent national policy to address the conflict, including measures related to elephant habitats, food and water availability, wildlife corridors and community participation. 

The human-elephant conflict remains one of Sri Lanka’s major conservation and rural-community challenges, with authorities seeking longer-term measures to reduce fatalities among both people and elephants.