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Sri Lanka Police Arrest Three for Allegedly Burning Wild Elephant
Three men aged 42 to 50 were remanded for animal cruelty after a viral video showed them shooting and burning a wild elephant, amid escalating human-elephant conflicts.
- On Dec 18, Sri Lankan police arrested three men aged 42–50 in Anuradhapura on cruelty-to-animals charges after a viral video circulated, and they were remanded until Dec 24.
- Rising human–elephant conflict has killed around 400 elephants and 200 people annually, as encroaching settlements and farms push into elephant habitat and farmers in remote villages attack wild elephants.
- Wildlife officials said the wounded wild elephant was first shot and set alight, and veterinary surgeons later failed to save the animal.
- Under Sri Lankan law, elephants are protected and killing one is a serious offence, with legal penalty provisions including the death penalty, though sentences are commuted to life imprisonment.
- Sri Lanka's estimated 7,000 wild elephants are a national treasure with Buddhist cultural significance, while conservationists warn weak enforcement allows violence, risking national reputation and tourism.
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Three arrested in Sri Lanka after video shows elephant being burned alive
Authorities say animal was shot and injured and then set on fire
·London, United Kingdom
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Three men were arrested on Thursday by the Sri Lankan police. They broadcast a video showing them burning a wild elephant alive. A scene that provoked a wave of outrage on social media. - Sri Lanka: they are burning an elephant, three men arrested for acts of cruelty (International).
Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left2Leaning Right2Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 22%
C 56%
R 22%
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