June 14, Colombo (LNW): A tragic wildlife incident in the Okkampitiya area has resulted in the deaths of two wild elephants, including a young calf, after they reportedly came into contact with an unauthorised electric fence erected to protect agricultural land.
The incident occurred in the Jothiamuna locality of Maligawila, where the animals are believed to have wandered into a cultivated property during their search for food. Wildlife officials said the elephants were fatally electrocuted after becoming entangled in a live electrical wire that had been illegally connected around the farmland.
The land had been used to cultivate a variety of crops, including sugarcane, bananas, papaya and paddy, with the fence allegedly installed to deter elephants and other wild animals from entering the fields. Investigators suspect the powerful current running through the fence caused the deaths instantly.
Among the animals killed was a fully grown elephant estimated to be around 20 years old, as well as a calf believed to be approximately one year of age. The deaths have sparked renewed concern among conservationists over the continued use of unlawful electric fencing in areas bordering wildlife habitats.
Authorities have taken into custody an individual responsible for overseeing the property, while efforts are under way to locate the owner of the land, who is reported to have left the area following the incident.
Officers from the Department of Wildlife Conservation, assisted by Okkampitiya Police, have launched a joint investigation. Officials say legal action will be pursued against those found responsible, while also highlighting the urgent need for safer and lawful measures to mitigate human-elephant conflict in farming communities.