A Sri Lankan passenger train derailed on Thursday after crashing into a herd of elephants near a wildlife reserve in Habarana, resulting in the death of six elephants but leaving passengers unharmed. The incident occurred before dawn, approximately 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Colombo.
The express train struck the herd, and footage from the scene showed one elephant standing over an injured calf lying beside the tracks, with their trunks intertwined. Government spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa confirmed that among the six elephants killed, three were babies.
“Train collisions with elephants are not uncommon, but this case stands out due to the large number of animals involved,” Jayatissa said. Local police also reported that two other elephants sustained serious injuries.
The Sri Lankan government is currently working on a new strategy to reduce the number of wild animals, particularly elephants, struck by trains in the island’s rural and jungle regions. Despite measures like reducing train speeds, these efforts have not been effective in preventing such accidents.
In Sri Lanka, killing or injuring an elephant is a criminal offense, as the animals are considered national treasures, especially due to their cultural significance in Buddhism. The country is home to an estimated 7,000 wild elephants.
This tragic event is not an isolated incident. In August 2016, an express train killed three elephant calves and their mother in Cheddikulam, located about 260 kilometers (162 miles) north of Colombo. A similar incident occurred in September 2018 in Habarana, where a train killed two baby elephants and their pregnant mother.
Following these incidents, authorities have instructed train drivers to follow speed limits in areas with frequent elephant activity to minimize risks. However, Thursday’s crash underscores the ongoing issue.
The deaths of these elephants highlight the growing human-elephant conflict, particularly in areas affected by habitat loss. Farmers often clash with elephants who raid their crops. Deputy environment minister Anton Jayakody reported that in 2023, 150 people and 450 elephants were killed in such conflicts.
To address this, the government is considering measures such as electric fences, trenches, and other deterrents to prevent wild elephants from wandering into villages.
Additionally, a recent study in the “Journal of Threatened Taxa” revealed that Asian elephants display mourning behaviors for their dead calves, akin to human funeral rituals. Recognized as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are about 26,000 Asian elephants in the wild, primarily in India and Southeast Asia, with a lifespan of 60 to 70 years outside captivity.
