COLOMBO, July 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 198 wild elephants died in the past seven months due to various causes, including shootings, train and vehicle collisions, poaching, poisoning, and natural causes, according to local media reports.
Four wild elephants died last Friday alone, two due to a train accident, and another two from gunshot wounds, the reports on Monday cited Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody as saying.
Human-elephant conflict is a serious problem in Sri Lanka, resulting in the deaths of 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 people in the country between 2015 and 2024, according to official data. ■
