The human-elephant conflict in Sri Lanka is escalating due to the Mideast war, which has raised fuel and fertilizer prices, pushing farmers to more desperate measures. - Elephant killings rose from 255 in 2011 to 488 in 2023.
- Elephant attacks on farmers more than doubled from 60 to 188 in the same period. - Farmers use lethal methods like gunshot, electrocution, and jaw bombs.
- Government efforts like electric fences fail as elephants adapt. The conflict is driven by year-round farming and saturated elephant populations in forests, with the Mideast war exacerbating economic pressures on farmers.