Sri Lanka’s elephants suffer for years after surviving gunfire

COLOMBO: Wild elephants in Sri Lanka can live for years with metal lodged inside their bodies after being shot. Even when their wounds close, the fragments can cause lasting pain, repeated infections and trouble walking.

Environmental activist Nayanaka Ranwella told the Daily Mirror that Agbo, one of Sri Lanka’s best-known wild elephants, is believed to carry at least 75 kilograms of lead from gunfire. He said more than 25 kilograms of metal remained inside the blind Galgamuwa tusker. Ranwella said some of Agbo’s wounds had healed, while others were still open.

Hard to remove

A veterinary association official told the newspaper that removing the fragments can be difficult when they lie deep in the body or near vital organs. Some elephants need long periods of veterinary treatment, and others suffer permanent damage.

Sri Lanka’s Department of Wildlife Conservation recorded 289 elephant deaths from Jan. 1 to Oct. 23 this year. Gunshot wounds accounted for 42 of those deaths, while the cause remained unknown in 95 cases. The department recorded 5,397 elephant deaths from 2010 through Oct. 23, 2026.

Elephant Force

Ranwella said he had raised concerns about elephant killings for nearly 15 years and called for stronger action against poaching. On Nov. 2, the government launched Hasthi Sena, or Elephant Force, an islandwide effort to protect wild elephants. Environment Minister Dhammika Patabendi said the programme would initially focus on 17 elephants facing threats. For animals like Agbo that have already survived gunfire, the injuries can still cause pain years after the shooting.