Sri Lanka Wildlife Department figures point to the fact that 131 elephants have been killed during the period between January 01 to August 31 this year.
The death toll for elephants last year was 186. Analysts speculate that number can be exceeded this year.
Man-elephant conflicts are the major cause for the elephant killings whilst a number of elephants were run over by trains accidentally. In some other cases elephants were killed as they fell in man-made structures like farming wells.
Wildlife Department has taken steps to deploy their officials in locomotives in Polonnaruwa – Batticaloa railway line that crosses many elephant corridors to avoid elephant deaths. But four elephants collided with the Batticaloa train two weeks ago killing two of them and derailing the train.