5 killed due to wild elephant attacks

It is reported that five people have died due to crimes and wild elephant attacks reported from various parts of the island. A Civil Security Force member and a chena cultivator unfortunately died in a wild elephant attack that occurred in the Ethimale, Vijayapura area.

The deceased are 42-year-old Civil Security Constable D.M. Sugath Nayananda, a father of two residing in Kotigala, Ethimale, and 47-year-old farmer Liyanage Ranjith Shantha, a resident of Vijayapura.

Mr. Ranjith Shantha, who was on his way to his chena cultivation, was attacked and killed by a wild elephant that had entered the cultivated land. Upon learning of this incident, wildlife officers arrived at the scene and were engaged in an operation to drive the herd of wild elephants back into the forest when Civil Security Constable Nayananda, who was attached to the Department of Wildlife, was also attacked by the same elephant and died.

A group of angry villagers, accusing authorities of failing to drive away wild elephants that had entered the village, attacked wildlife officers. Four wildlife officers injured in the attack have been admitted to Siyambalanduwa Base Hospital, and further investigations into the incident are underway under the direction of Ethimale Police Station OIC Mr. Wasantha Ananda and Monaragala Wildlife Zone Officer-in-Charge Mr. Harsha Ruwan Kumara.

Meanwhile, three human deaths due to wild elephant attacks have also been reported from several areas in the Anuradhapura District. A 52-year-old man named Yusuf Ayubkhan, who was returning with his son after receiving treatment from Jaffna Hospital, was trampled to death by a wild elephant near the Kekirawa railway station, while his son managed to run away and escape at the time of the incident.

Ms. J.G. Sriyalatha, a 64-year-old resident of Ketabumawa, Nuwara Eliya, who was returning after visiting her sister residing in the Thalawa area, also died in a wild elephant attack. Similarly, Karunaratne Mudiyanselage Dissanayake Banda, a 48-year-old resident of Sravasthipura, died from an attack by a lone elephant when he attempted to drive it away from his home garden.