Jan 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka Ministry of Wildlife has recorded 252 deaths of wild elephants in 2012 island wide due to shooting and accidents, the Ministry announced.

In addition 66 people have died in the same period due to human- elephant conflict, the Ministry says.

The Ministry figures showed that out of the total deaths of the elephants, 66 were reported from Mahaweli Zone, 61 from North Western Province, 42 from the Eastern Province and 21 from the Southern Province.

According to the Ministry 20 people died in North Western Province, 16 died in Mahaweli Zone, 13 in Uva Province and 6 died in Yala Bundala area.

The Ministry is in the process of building electric fences to prevent elephants roaming into the human settlements. Elephants have lost their habitats due to the expansion of villages and cultivations and accelerated development projects.

Sri Lanka Deputy Minister of Agrarian Services and Wildlife S.M. Chandrasena recently said that electric fences covering 1,500 kilometers will be built soon to prevent the human-elephant conflicts.