Nation’s largest wild tusker ‘Kawanthissa’ dies after gunshot attack

Sri Lanka has lost one of its most iconic natural treasures following the tragic death of "Kawanthissa," widely regarded as the largest tusked elephant remaining in the island nation's wild forests. The majestic 45-year-old elephant succumbed on Friday evening to severe complications arising from gunshot wounds, a frequent casualty of the country’s escalating human-elephant conflict.

Kawanthissa was famous for his magnificent tusk alignment and impressive build. For years, he lived as a poignant symbol of Sri Lanka’s ongoing human-elephant conflict, enduring persistent injuries and hardship throughout his life in the wild. His death marks a heart-breaking loss for wildlife conservationists and nature enthusiasts both locally and globally.