Hyped reports of soaring Sri Lanka elephant deaths don’t match data

Claims of a spike in elephant deaths in Sri Lanka this year — amplified by social media and public officials — don’t add up, reports Mongabay contributor Malaka Rodrigo. In fact, analysis of the existing data shows a slight decrease from recent years. The claims are fueled by several headline-grabbing elephant deaths in Sri Lanka that triggered public outrage. These include deadly train collisions that killed multiple elephants, and the painful death of the iconic tusker Bhathiya from gunshot injuries. Some environmental activists and even the country’s environment minister urged further investigations into what they suggested was organized killing of elephants — including by snipers — for their tusks or meat, or to eliminate crop-raiding individuals. However, Rodrigo gained access to elep