SRI LANKA, March 9, 2025 (Eurasia Review): The human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka continues unabated. Although efforts by successive governments since the 1970s have reduced the rate of attrition, the issue remains a pressing concern. Various mitigation methods have been attempted with mixed success. Given this, it may be worthwhile for the Sri Lankan government to consider adopting Thailand’s Bajrasudha Gajamurak model, which successfully integrates traditional and modern strategies to harmonize human-elephant coexistence. The Asian elephant inhabits diverse ecosystems, ranging from dry to wet forests and grasslands across 13 countries in South and Southeast Asia. While their preferred diet consists of forage plants, they have adapted to consuming a wide variety of resources depending on habitat availability. Historically, human societies in these regions have had a close association with elephants. In the past, elephants were revered rather than seen as adversaries. Even today, they hold a sacred place in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism, despite being viewed as a menace by modern villagers due to their frequent raids for food.
Despite this historical reverence, human-elephant relations have deteriorated over time. The exponential growth of the human population and encroachment on elephant habitats have intensified conflicts. However, poaching in Sri Lanka remains relatively low since only 5% of its elephants are tuskers. Sri Lanka’s Minister of Environment, Dammika Patabendi, recently reported alarming statistics in Parliament. Between 2015 and 2019, 1,466 wild elephants were killed. Human casualties also rose sharply. In the same time period, 456 people were killed due to elephant encounters. The figure surged to 734 between 2020 and 2024. In total, Sri Lanka lost 3,477 wild elephants and 1,190 human lives from 2015 to 2024.
This number increased to 2,011 between 2020 and 2024.
To combat this crisis, the Sri Lankan government has implemented several measures, including: Constructing electric fences, Reopening blocked elephant corridors, Increasing food availability in elephant habitats and more. Thailand has also faced a severe human-elephant conflict due to habitat destruction and rapid urban expansion. The issue escalated to hundreds of deaths annually among both humans and elephants. Recognizing the urgency, Thailand launched the Bajrasudha Gajamurak Project in 2019, initiated by the Thai royal family. This project focuses on creating a sustainable balance where both humans and elephants can coexist.
More on Thailand’s strategy at source.
https://www.eurasiareview.com/09032025-the-thai-way-to-end-human-elephant-conflict-analysis/