A Sri Lankan passenger train derailed Thursday after colliding with a herd of elephants, killing six animals in the island’s worst wildlife catastrophe, according to authorities.
The express train was traveling near a wildlife sanctuary in Habarana, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of the capital Colombo, when it collided with a herd crossing the track before daybreak.
“The train derailed, but there were no casualties among the passengers,” police said, adding that wildlife officials were treating two elephants who survived the accident.
Killing or hurting elephants is a crime in Sri Lanka, where there are an estimated 7,000 wild elephants.
The animals are regarded a national asset, thanks in part to their importance in Buddhist culture.
In September 2018, a train struck two baby elephants and their pregnant mother in the same place, killing them all.
Since then, the authorities ordered train drivers to observe speed limits to minimise injury to elephants when going through areas where they cross the lines.
The elephant deaths comes days after the authorities expressed concern over the growing impact of conflict between humans and elephants, as the ancient habitat of the animals is increasingly encroached upon.
Farmers scratching a living from smallholder plots often fight back against elephants raiding their crops.
Elephants are known for their social and cooperative behaviour but calf burial had previously only been “briefly studied” in African elephants — remaining unexplored among their smaller Asian cousins, according to the study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
Asian elephants are recognised as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
An estimated 26,000 of them live in the wild, mostly in India with some in Southeast Asia, surviving for an average of 60-70 years outside captivity.
