Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) is a major socio-economic, conservation and political issue in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is considered to have one of the worst cases of Human Elephant Conflict situations in the world.

With the rise in the human population, increasing HEC, deforestation, habitat fragmentation & degradation, Sri Lanka’s elephant population, Elephas maximus maximus, now considered to be endangered by IUCN, are in grave danger of being wiped out completely from Sri Lanka.

70% of elephant range is in areas with resident people. Currently there are resident people in 82% of Sri Lanka’s lands, elephants are found in 62% of the land and in 44% of the land elephants and people live in the same landscape. Assuming there are around 6,000 elephants in Sri Lanka, over 4,000 elephants are likely to use areas with people. HEC is very widespread in Sri Lanka and is currently reported from 19 Districts and 131 Divisional Secretariat Divisions encompassing almost the entire dry zone of the country.