Incidents of wild elephants encroaching villages were reported from  several parts of the country on Sunday as well.

Crops in the Thimbiriwewa village in lower Maharagahawewa, Nochchiyagama were damaged after a herd of wild elephants encroached the village on Saturday night.

The watermelon cultivation were the most affected. Locals say that chilli and plantation cultivations were also damaged by wild elephants. They added that the wild elephants stray into the village from the Wilpattu National Park.

A herd of wild elephants also strayed into the Bogahawewa village in Nawagaththegama, Anamaduwa on Saturday night. According to the News1st correspondent, wild elephants have caused damages to nearly twelve houses in the area within the past week alone.

Locals say that the elephants enter the village from the Thabbowa Reserve.

They charge that garbage which is disposed close to the elephant fence by the Thabbowa Pradeshiya Sabha attracts the wild elephants, causing the animals to stray into the village.

Meanwhile, a youth was injured by a wild elephant which encroached into the Sennal village in Samanthurai, Ampara. The 21-year-old is currently receiving treatment at the Ampara Hospital.The wild elephant had caused damages to several homes in the area.

• COVID-19: 9 deaths, 162 cases reported on Friday (12)
• Rajapaksas will rise again: Rohitha Abeygunawardena
• Gotabaya advised not to leave hotel in Bangkok
• Hospitals fall victim to severe shortage of medicines
• India to deliver Dornier Reconnaissance aircraft to Sri Lanka on Monday (15)