Sri Lanka, March 5 -- Sri Lanka lost a total of nine elephants during the first two months of 2025 as a result of elephant-train collisions. These statistics were issued to this paper by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. But records indicate that over 60 elephants succumbed to injuries caused by electrocution, hakka patas and gunshots. In February this year, seven elephants succumbed to injuries as a result of a collision with the Colombo-Batticaloa train 'Meenagaya'. On March 3 another elephant succumbed to injuries along the same train route in Manampitiya.

In response to the escalating number of elephant-train collisions occurring frequently along the Colombo-Batticaloa route, the Railways Department took steps to revise trai...