The carcasses of three wild elephants including a tusker—whose tusks had been removed and is believed to have died about a month ago—were discovered within the Digampathaha area of the Inamaluwa Forest Reserve, said Ada Derana reporter.
Residents of the area claim that the remains of a total of five wild elephants and a tusker, believed to have died around a month ago, have been found in the Inamaluwa Forest Reserve in Dambulla.
Several local residents led a group of journalists to the bodies of two elephants and a tusker.
They also reported that the remaining three carcasses were located in areas that were difficult and dangerous to access due to the frequent presence of wild elephants, reports of firearms set as traps for animals, and the challenging terrain.
Furthermore, the residents alleged that those who initially discovered the bodies failed to report the incident properly.
It has been reported that area residents had informed the relevant authorities about the elephant deaths on multiple occasions.
According to sources, forest conservation officers had notified the Sigiriya Wildlife Office after they observed the elephant carcasses within the reserve, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Forest Conservation Department.
During the investigation, the team was able to locate three carcasses within approximately one-kilometer intervals.
These included the remains of two elephants and a tusker—whose tusks had been clearly removed—found in the same general area of the Inamaluwa Forest Reserve.
Witnesses confirmed that the tusker’s tusks had been extracted, indicating possible poaching, said Ada Derana reporter.
Those with knowledge of the situation stated that accessing the remaining three carcasses was not possible due to ongoing safety concerns, including the presence of wild animals and suspected gun traps in the area.
Despite this, locals claim to have seen six elephant carcasses within the forest.
When contacted, S.S. Malinda, the Wildlife Conservation Officer at the Sigiriya Wildlife Office, confirmed that he had received information regarding three elephant deaths.
He added that one of the carcasses was located outside his area of jurisdiction and that he had reported one of the deaths to the court.
However, he stated that he had not received any reports confirming the presence of six carcasses, said Ada Derana reporter.
Notably, he also admitted that no investigation had yet been conducted into the cause of death, nor had any post-mortem examinations been performed to determine whether the elephants had been killed.
