Colombo, Aug. 9 -- Elephant deaths in Sri Lanka are climbing at an alarming rate, with new figures showing dozens killed in just the first seven months of this year.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation says 44 elephants have already been shot dead in 2025, showing that the deadly trend of gunfire killings is far from over.

Last year, 84 elephants were killed by gunfire, underscoring the ongoing human-elephant conflict and the impact of illegal hunting.

According to the department sources, a total of 248 elephants died in 2024 from various causes.

These included 38 electrocuted and 13 killed by trains. The overall elephant death toll for the year 2024 was 388.

In response, the Ministry of Environment is mulling to launch a special...