Sept 22, Colombo: Sri Lanka Wildlife Department sources say that 117 wild elephants died so far this year.

The majority of the elephant deaths were reported from the Northwestern Wildlife Zone which inhabits the most number of elephants. Fifty four elephants were killed there.

In the Mahaweli zones 37 elephants were killed. Twenty were killed in South and two killings each were reported from Central, Yala, Bundala and East Wildlife zones.

Other than the natural causes, many elephants were killed by shooting, assaults, falling in cultivation wells and colliding with trains.