(COLOMBO) – A total of 298 Sri Lankan wild elephants have been killed through electrocution since 2018, Wildlife Conservation Department officials conceded on Thursday.
They attributed the elephants’ deaths to the installation of various obstacles and traps, including substandard electric fences intended to restrict the movement of wild animals.
According to statistics made available by the officials some 72 elephants were killed in 2023, followed by 50 in 2022, 66 in 2021, 31 in 2020, 41 in 2019, and 38 in 2018.
The main factors contributing to elephant deaths by electrocution include the use of land by local communities in areas prone to human-elephant conflicts, as well as the growing prevalence of personal electric fences.
Consequently, efforts were directed towards enhancing law enforcement measures against the use of electricity to harm wild elephants and other animals, as well as preventing the unauthorized construction of electric fences that lack proper standards.
During sudden inspections carried out between January 1 and March 10, Wildlife officers discovered 2,009 personal electric fences, with 583 (29.02 percent) was found to be faulty.
However, owners were promptly instructed to rectify these faults. Additionally, 147 electric fences were found to be erected according to the standards set by the Wildlife Department, with no defects during inspection.
Owners of faulty electric fences were found to lack sufficient knowledge in their usage, with no intention to cause harm to animals.
