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Sri Lanka Is The Country With The Highest Number Of Elephant Deaths In The World

ict is a major problem in Sri Lanka. A JCB dozer is digging a hole to bury the dead body of an elephant in Habarana, Sri Lanka, on May 20, 2023. The Sri Lankan wild elephant, scientifically known as Elephas maximus maximus, is reported to have over 7,000 across Sri Lanka, according to the Wildlife Department. Humans have been clearing forests and building settlements, resulting in the loss of elephants' habitats and frequent visits to elephant villages, creating an elephant-human conflict. In 2022, 433 elephant deaths and 145 human deaths will have been reported due to this problem, and from January 1 to April 25, 2023, 114 elephant deaths have been reported. The Wildlife Department has reported 34 elephant deaths from Anuradhapura district, 29 from Polonnaruwa district, and 19 from Eastern Province so far in 2023, and 36 people will have died due to elephant-human conflict in the same year. Sri Lankans have had a long relationship with elephants, taming and using them for cultural and religious activities since ancient times, as well as for war. Even today, elephants are widely used for Buddhist processions, such as the Kandy Dalada Perahera, and are beneficial for Sri Lanka's tourism industry, as many tourists come to see them. The human-elephant conflict is a major problem in Sri Lanka.

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