Six Elephant Carcasses Found in Dambulla Forest Reserve Amid Concerns of Poaching, Negligence

Residents of Inamaluwa, Dambulla have reported the discovery of the carcasses of six wild elephants, including a tusker, suspected to have died about a month ago within the Inamaluwa Government Forest Reserve and adjacent areas.

Locals say the decomposed bodies of a tusker and two other elephants were located within the reserve and the nearby Teak Plantation, approximately a kilometre apart. They also claimed that three additional carcasses exist deeper in the forest, but due to terrain difficulties, access to those locations has been limited.

According to residents, repeated alerts had been made to relevant authorities over several weeks, with no adequate response or investigation into the cause of death. It is alleged that the tusks of the tusker had been cut off and removed, raising serious suspicions of poaching.

When contacted, Wildlife Conservation Officer at the Sigiriya Wildlife Office, S.S. Malinda, confirmed that he had received information regarding three elephant deaths, noting that one carcass had been reported to court while another was located outside his jurisdiction. However, he admitted that no formal investigation has yet been launched to ascertain how the elephants died.

Residents are now demanding an immediate probe by both the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Forest Conservation Department, urging authorities to take swift action against possible illegal wildlife trafficking or negligence, and to prevent further loss of Sri Lanka’s endangered elephant population.