Senior environmentalists yesterday expressed serious concern over the untimely deaths of wild elephants following train accidents and said unfortunately our country lost 238 elephants, tuskers and baby elephants during the last six months from January to July.
According to reports six wild elephants died in two accidents last Wednesday after they were knocked by a night mail train and a passenger train near Galgamuwa and Polonnaruwa areas. Five of them died on the spot and one elephant died the following day while being treated by a team from Wildlife Department.
Meanwhile another report says nearly 463 wild elephants, tuskers and baby elephants lost their lives following train accidents in 2022 and majority deaths had occurred in the night.
Speaking to the Daily News senior environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella cautioned the officials in the Environment Authority and the Wildife Department to take precautionary measures at least to protect the remaining elephant population unless this valuable assert will be completely vanished from our land before long.
He also asked Railways Department officials to urge all train engine drivers and also the train guards to reduce the speed of their train and be more vigilant when travelling in elephant roaming areas especially during night hours.
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