The iconic tusker known as Deegadanthu 1, celebrated for having some of the longest tusks in Sri Lanka, tragically died after being electrocuted by an electric fence in Andiyagala, Hinguruwewa. The incident occurred near a house where the tusker wandered after the Kala Wewa reservoir overflowed due to recent heavy rains.
Deegadanthu 1, estimated to be between 45 and 50 years old, was a well-known resident of the Kala Wewa and Kahalla-Pallekele Wildlife Sanctuary areas. Admired for its majestic tusks and its status as one of the oldest elephants in the region, the tusker was a popular attraction among local and foreign wildlife enthusiasts.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation confirmed the tusker’s death, highlighting the increasing human-wildlife conflicts exacerbated by changing weather conditions and encroachments into elephant habitats.
