Sri Lankan police have arrested three men after a video emerged showing a live wild elephant being set on fire while efforts were made to drive it out of a village in the northern part of the country, sparking widespread public outrage and condemnation.
The incident quickly gained traction on Sri Lankan social media after a clip showed three men using torches to set a live wild elephant on fire while trying to drive it away from a village in the northern region. Local reports stated that despite veterinarians providing intensive treatment, the male elephant collapsed on Tuesday after suffering severe burns over its body.
Reports indicate that the three suspects, aged between 42 and 50, were arrested on Thursday and are currently undergoing legal investigation.
Local media reported that the wild elephant was found with severe burn wounds and also bore a gunshot wound on its leg. Additionally, the elephant had received veterinary care multiple times throughout the year prior to this incident.
The case has triggered harsh criticism among wildlife conservationists, animal rights activists, and social media users, who view the act as excessively cruel and unacceptable.
Recently, an online petition campaign was launched calling for the perpetrators to be prosecuted to the fullest extent and for measures to prevent further violence against wildlife. Within a short period, over 400 people had signed the petition.
Elephants are considered sacred animals in Sri Lanka, where the majority of the population practices Buddhism. Domestic elephants are often used in religious ceremonies and are one of the country's key tourism symbols.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) stated that killing elephants in Sri Lanka is a serious crime that can carry the death penalty. However, human-wildlife conflicts continue to escalate, resulting in fatalities among both people and animals. Since the beginning of the year, nearly 400 elephants have died. A government official told the Daily Mirror that many deaths were directly caused by humans through shootings, train collisions, and the use of jaw traps—explosive bait devices used by farmers to protect crops. During the same period, over 100 people have died from elephant attacks, highlighting a troubling deterioration in human-wildlife relations.
Source:BBC
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