Seven jumbos drown under thick layer of water hyacinth-By Ifham Nizam
The carcass of one of the elephants found at Handapanwila
Source:Island
Carcasses of seven wild elephants were discovered at Handapanwila in the Flood Plains National Park in Polonnaruwa on Sunday (26).
Authorities have handed them over to the Giritale Wildlife Veterinary Unit for further investigation.
Wildlife officials said that they suspected that a herd of wild elephants, possibly from the Flood Plains National Park, encountered treacherous conditions while attempting to cross the Ode Ela, a waterway in the area.
The mud and water flow may have swept them away, leading to their tragic demise.
Among the casualties, five young elephants, aged between eight and 10 years, and two adult elephants, aged between 30 and 35 years, lost their lives.
Environmentalist Janaka Withanage told The Island that villagers believe that elephants died of suffocation due to the two-foot thick layer of water hyacinath (Japan jabara) washed into the canal after the recent floods.
