Skip to content
Breaking News

Breaking News

  • Home
  • World
  • Business
  • Health
  • Entertainment
  • Life Style
  • Sports
  • Toggle search form

Sri Lanka train derailed after smashing into elephants – SUCH TV

Posted on February 20, 2025 By Admin No Comments on Sri Lanka train derailed after smashing into elephants – SUCH TV



A Sri Lankan passenger train derailed on Thursday after smashing into a family of elephants, with no passengers injured but six animals killed in the island’s worst such wildlife accident, police said.

The express train was travelling near a wildlife reserve at Habarana, some 180 kilometres east of the capital Colombo, when it hit the herd crossing the line before dawn.

“The train derailed, but there were no casualties among the passengers,” police said, adding that wildlife authorities were treating two elephants who survived the crash.

Videos shot after the accident showed one elephant standing guard over an injured youngster lying beside the tracks, with the tips of their trunks curled together.

Killing or harming elephants is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka, which has an estimated 7,000 wild elephants, with the animals considered a national treasure, partly due to their significance in Buddhist culture.

Two baby elephants and their pregnant mother were killed in a similar accident by a train in the same area in September 2018.

Since then, the authorities ordered train drivers to observe speed limits to minimise injury to elephants when going through areas where they cross the lines.

The elephant deaths comes days after the authorities expressed concern over the growing impact of conflict between humans and elephants, as the ancient habitat of the animals is increasingly encroached upon.

Farmers scratching a living from smallholder plots often fight back against elephants raiding their crops.

Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody told AFP on Sunday that 150 people and 450 elephants were killed in clashes in 2023.

That is an increase on the previous year, when 145 people and 433 elephants were killed, according to official data.

Just those two years represent more than a tenth of the island’s elephants.

But Jayakody said he was confident the government could find solutions.

“We are planning to introduce multiple barriers — these may include electric fences, trenches, or other deterrents — to make it more difficult for wild elephants to stray into villages,” Jayakody said.

A study last year detailed how Asian elephants loudly mourn and bury their dead calves, in a report that details animal behaviour reminiscent of human funeral rites.

Elephants are known for their social and cooperative behaviour but calf burial had previously only been “briefly studied” in African elephants — remaining unexplored among their smaller Asian cousins, according to the study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.

Asian elephants are recognised as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

An estimated 26,000 of them live in the wild, mostly in India with some in Southeast Asia, surviving for an average of 60-70 years outside captivity.



Source link

World Tags:elephants, island, Sri Lanka

Post navigation

Previous Post: PCOS Weight Loss Journey: Woman Loses 38 Kg And Shares 10 Common Mistakes To Avoid For Faster Results
Next Post: Could your laptop bag be causing neck pain? Experts share tips to carry workload without discomfort

More Related Articles

Trump’s legal team back in court for classified documents case and more top headlines World
IAEA Board passes resolution, pushes Iran towards new nuclear talks World
Israel-Gaza war live updates: Israel and Hamas agree to extend pause in fighting in Gaza World
China plans to cut stamp duty on stocks by up to 50% to revive confidence – Reuters News Agency World
Panama and US lock in new security pact for Canal as China tensions simmer World
Protests erupt at Buddhism’s holiest site over Hindu control of shrine – SUCH TV World

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding invite slammed over ‘ugly’ design
  • Paige Spiranac adds new chapter in ‘case study’ about her golf game
  • From NPS To UPS: Last Date To Opt For Unified Pension Scheme Extended By 3 Months Till September 30
  • Salman Khan reveals struggle with AVM and brain aneurysm on Kapil Sharma Show: Know what AVM is, its causes, and why it’s so serious | – Times of India
  • Patrick Schwarzenegger on his breakout

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Life Style
  • Sports
  • World

Copyright © 2025 Breaking News.

Powered by PressBook Blog WordPress theme