The recent death of Bathiya, one of Sri Lanka’s best-known tuskers, has brought renewed national attention to the ongoing human-elephant conflict. Bathiya was found in a critical state in the Polpithigama area, suffering from gunshot wounds and severe injuries, including a foot pierced by a plank embedded with nails.
Despite the efforts of veterinarians, wildlife officials, and security forces, Bathiya succumbed to his injuries, one of several elephants in treatment for similar causes. His passing is not an isolated event but part of ever increasing fatal encounters between elephants and humans.
Sri Lanka now records the highest rate of human-elephant conflicts in the world. Over the past decades, there has been a marked rise in the number of elephant and human fatalities in the country linked to this conflict. In 2024, 388 wild elephant deaths were reported, while 488 deaths were recorded in 2023. 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people had died in Sri Lanka between 2015 and 2024. 1,466 wild elephants died between 2015 and 2019, while 2,011 more fatalities were recorded from 2020 to 2024. Regarding human fatalities, 456 deaths occurred between 2015 and 2019, and 734 people died between 2020 and 2024.
These figures reflect a wider pattern rooted in environmental and socio-economic pressures. Sri Lanka’s forests, estimated by the United Nations to cover 30 percent of the land area in 1997, lost more than 2,100 square kilometres of tree cover by 2022. As elephant habitats continue to shrink and fragment, elephants are forced into farmlands and settlements in search of food. This behaviour is not unique to Bathiya, but common across the country, as elephants come into contact with crops and grain stores, leading to retaliatory measures from affected farmers.
Statistical estimates show Sri Lanka has about 5,787 wild elephants, including 1,107 calves and 122 tuskers, making up roughly 10 percent of the Asian elephants in their natural habitat. The country’s elephant density, 0.088 per km², remains the highest in South Asia, reflecting the intense overlap between elephant range and areas of human habitation. Nearly 70 percent of the Sri Lankan elephant range lies in areas where people live.
Recent studies predict that the conflict will intensify as climate change alters rainfall patterns, reduces water availability, and increases the pressure on both people and elephants to compete for land and water.
Deforestation, changing agricultural practices, and the expansion of settlements have further fragmented elephant habitats. Farmers, whose livelihoods depend on crops often targeted by elephants, increasingly turn to electric fencing, traps, and other deterrents, sometimes with lethal consequences.
Economic costs are also significant. In 2022, the Government paid out Rs. 345 million in compensation for human deaths, injuries, and property loss due to elephant encounters.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) also spends substantial funds on constructing electric fences, compensation schemes, and efforts to translocate or deter elephants. In 2019 and 2020, Sri Lanka spent USD 2.74 million to build 4,756 km of electric fencing.
Efforts to manage the conflict have included a range of traditional and modern approaches. Communities use a combination of barriers such as electric fences, trenches, and beehive fences; non-lethal deterrents including firecrackers, lights, and chilli-based methods; and early warning systems like watchtowers and community patrols. In some areas, collaborative research centres have begun to track elephant movements and advise on mitigation strategies.
However, these efforts face challenges. Many traditional deterrents require ongoing maintenance, can be expensive, or provide only short-term solutions. The effectiveness of some measures, such as trenches or beehive fences, varies depending on local conditions. Despite laws prohibiting the killing of elephants, enforcement remains inconsistent, and fines for offences are often minimal.
A growing body of research recommends a more scientific approach to conflict mitigation. Mapping conflict hotspots using satellite imagery and GIS technology can help to target interventions more effectively. Adaptive management strategies, such as expanding protected areas, maintaining wildlife corridors, and integrating land-use planning, offer a long-term framework for coexistence.
Compensation alone will not resolve the crisis. Successful long-term strategies will require the engagement of local communities, effective enforcement of existing regulations, and continuous investment in both ecological research and practical solutions. Elephants play a vital role in Sri Lanka’s ecosystems and remain a key attraction for tourism, contributing to the country’s economic and cultural life.
Bathiya’s death is a stark reminder of the urgent need for rational, coordinated action. If current trends continue, experts warn that Sri Lanka could lose up to 70 percent of its wild elephants in the coming decades. A comprehensive, science-based strategy, grounded in data and guided by experience, offers the best hope for reducing the conflict and ensuring that humans and elephants can coexist safely in Sri Lanka.
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