Sri Lanka, July 25 -- A writ petition has been filed before the Court of Appeal seeking an order directing authorities to detect and remove illegal electric fences to ensure the protection and conservation of elephants.

K. Priyadarshani, President of the Association for the Protection of Elephants and Tuskers, filed this petition, naming Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation M.G.C. Sooriyabandara, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi, the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board, and several others as respondents.

The petitioner stated that Sri Lanka lost 488 elephants in 2023, and by the end of November 2024, a further 354 elephants had been lost. Of these, approximately 72 elephants were killed due to electr...