Climate

Sri Lanka elephant found with a gunshot wound. How can tuskers be protected?

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 09/10/2026, 16:54:24 UTC.

Briefings

A gunshot wound was discovered on the right foreleg of Kavantissa, Sri Lanka's tallest living elephant, near the knee, shortly after he was observed moving through a conflict zone in Galgamuwa. The elephant was treated by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, receiving antibiotics and sedation, but he became aggressive and continued to cross human settlements despite recovery efforts. A 2022 photo shows Kavantissa with Sankha, a young elephant who suffered a similar injury and died from a fall into a pit.

Key points

• Kavantissa, the tallest living elephant in Sri Lanka, suffered a gunshot wound to his right foreleg near the knee following an incident in Galgamuwa.
• The elephant was treated with antibiotics and sedation but remained aggressive and continued to cross human settlements despite recovery.

Context and limitations

Evidence covers only the incident in September 2026; prior history of Kavantissa's injuries is limited to a 2022 photograph and anecdotal accounts.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 09/10/2026, 17:04:20 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

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