Clad in his khaki wildlife officer’s uniform, Dewagiri Mudiyanselage Thilakaratne Bandara rides his motorbike the short distance from his home to the electric fence that is the main line of defense against the dozens of wild elephants that live in the rapidly shrinking forest nearby.

The fence stretches 14 kilometers along the Siyambalangamuwa tank, a reservoir in the island’s northwest, to protect the more than 2,000 families who live in the nearby villages.

To read the full story visit https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2026/10/15/wildlife/sri-lanka-elephant-human-conflict/

Image credit: Reuters