The death of one of Sri Lanka's most admired wild animals has drawn fresh attention to the strained relationship between people and elephants on the island. The male elephant known as "Kavantissa" died on October 16 after being shot in the leg.
Believed to be about 45 years old, Kavantissa was considered the tallest living male elephant in Sri Lanka, standing roughly 3.3 meters (11 feet) high and weighing around 5,500 kilograms. He ranged across the northwest of the country near the village of Galgamuwa, where his imposing stature won him many admirers.
In late September, villagers noticed that the tusker was limping. A closer look revealed a gunshot wound on his right leg. Veterinary surgeons stepped in to treat him, but he did not survive.
Sri Lanka records more elephant deaths each year than any other country, and the second highest number of human deaths worldwide from violent encounters between the two species. These usually occur when elephants raid crops and push into farmland. Official figures show that since 2019, an average of 370 elephants and 125 people have died each year in such incidents.
The island holds about 10% of the world's Asian elephants while covering about 2% of their total natural range, giving it the highest density of the species anywhere. The Sri Lankan elephant is listed as an endangered subspecies on the IUCN Red List and is protected by national law, with fines and jail terms for wildlife offences. Experts say elephants are nonetheless shot, poisoned, hit by trains, or killed by improvised explosives hidden in food.
Forest cover has shrunk over recent decades as the population has grown. The rural population rose from 8.25 million in 1960 to 17.8 million in 2020, and because farming is the main source of income there, land continues to be cleared for agriculture. The Department of Wildlife Conservation recorded an estimated 7,451 wild elephants in 2024, and about 70% of them live outside protected areas. Each animal needs roughly 150 kilograms of green matter daily, which draws them toward fields.
Ravi Corea, president of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society, told DW that habitat loss, agricultural expansion, fragmented elephant corridors and competition for land drive the conflict. He said crop losses can threaten a rural family's main source of food and income, which sets the problem apart from wildlife conflicts in wealthier countries. Despite government efforts, he noted, the numbers are still rising. A national action plan drafted in 2020 is a useful foundation, he said, but it needs to be backed by a comprehensive conservation strategy with enforceable habitat protection.
Community programs run by non-governmental groups have shown promise. Corea pointed to Project Orange Elephant in the Wasgamuwa region, which encourages farmers to grow citrus that elephants avoid, cutting crop raiding while providing extra income. Electric fencing also protects settlements and farmland. In the same region, the "EleFriendly" bus service carries schoolchildren safely through elephant corridors, where confrontations had in some cases discouraged children from walking to school. It has reduced dangerous encounters along its original route by more than 90%.
Environmental ethics researcher Kamal Shashendra, based in Sri Lanka, said any just solution must protect human lives, livelihoods and elephant populations at the same time. He told DW this requires scientifically informed land-use planning, protected corridors, community-based fencing, effective early-warning systems and fair compensation for affected families.
