Blog Archives

Face-to-Face in Sri Lanka: Elephants & Humans-by Zinara Rathnayake In an Item in the New Lines Magazine that is reprinted in The Island, 23 March 2025 Source:Thuppahis In Makulpotha village, 89 miles northwest of Colombo, Punchibanda woke up to the trumpet of an elephant while he was sleeping in a small wooden hut built on a tree beside his vegetable farm. Fearing that the elephant could destroy his harvest of pumpkins, melons and eggplants, Punchibanda rushed to chase it away. But he could not guard his produce, and instead lost his life. The large bull elephant charged toward the 62-year-old, who fainted out of fear; the animal crushed him to death. Over a year later, villagers still live in fear as they struggle to protect their crops from wild elephants. Historically, elephants and humans lived in harmony in Sri Lanka. When the farmers were done harvesting their fields, they would allow elephants to ...