Playful 7-year-old Thinuli loved accompanying her father to his chena fields in a remote village in Hambantota, in Sri Lanka’s deep south. In August, she joined him as usual, eager to help in the field before the heat of the day. But in a tragic instant, an elephant charged out of the nearby thicket. Her father tried to save her, but it was too late. The elephant trampled Thinuli to death and left her father critically injured before retreating to the forest.Two months later, in October, tragedy struck again, but differently. A pregnant female elephant was found shot dead in a nearby area, her body lying near a crop field she had likely entered in search of fodder. The fatal bullet, reportedly fired by a farmer defending his field, claimed not only her life but also that of her unborn calf.

To read the full story visit https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/as-sri-lanka-continues-new-elephant-drive-scientists-warn-against-creating-new-conflicts/

Photo credit: CCR