In brief
On a Monday morning, Sri Lanka’s government unveiled a nationwide initiative called Hashti Sena, targeting the protection of elephants across 80% of the country’s elephant‑habited zones. The operation, started in the North‑Western Wildlife Region, will involve the Ministry of Environment, armed forces, and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, with a focus on 17 risk‑listed elephants in its first phase. Authorities will also conduct raids against illegal firearms, explosive bait, unauthorized electric fences and snares used against elephants.
Sri Lanka launched an island‑wide operation to protect elephants on Monday, the 2nd of November, 2026. The Ministry of Environment announced that “Hashti Sena” would be implemented across the entire country, beginning in the North‑Western Wildlife Region. The program is a joint effort of the Ministry of Environment, the armed forces, and the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi held a briefing to describe the scope and intent of the operation, giving the first official statement about the initiative.
The initial phase of Hashti Sena will concentrate on 17 elephants identified by scientific surveys as being at risk. According to Minister Dammika Patabendi, this first group will serve as a pilot to test and calibrate tactics that will later be mobilised across the rest of the country. The Minister further explained that the program is expected to cover about 80 percent of areas known to be inhabited by elephants, while the remaining 20 percent will be addressed under a separate program designed to tackle the most remote and logistically challenging habitats.
Patabendi also outlined the legal and enforcement aspects of the operation. Authorities will carry out systematic raids to identify and seize illegal firearms and “hakka patas,” a type of explosive bait that has been used to attract elephants. In addition, the operation will target unauthorized electric fences and snares that pose lethal threats to moving elephants. All such seizures will be followed by legal action against offenders, according to the minister’s statement.
The operation’s umbrella extends to all four provinces of Sri Lanka, signalling a shift from earlier regional or singular projects that addressed elephant movement corridors. By coordinating between environmental and military agencies, Sri Lanka aims to blend the scientific monitoring of elephant populations with the operational capacity to enforce wildlife protection laws. The Government has indicated that the combined force of the armed forces and conservation staff will patrol elephant‑rich zones throughout the country, with the possibility of expanding to cover the entire elephant population in forthcoming phases.
Of particular note is the choice of the North‑Western Wildlife Region as the launch site for Hashti Sena. The region has been identified as one of the greatest concentration points for elephants, partly due to its extensive lowland forests and available water sources. The initial 17 elephants monitored in this area comprise individuals that have shown increased risk factors such as proximity of human settlements, roadways, and agriculture. These risk factors have historically led to heightened incidents of human‑elephant conflict, which the Ministry of Environment hopes to mitigate through this operation.
While the operation is officially described as an effort to protect elephants, it also serves a dual purpose of reducing human‑elephant conflict by curbing the use of harmful deterrents. By removing hunting equipment, snares and illicite bait, the Ministry aims to not only ensure the safety of elephant populations but also foster safer living conditions for communities that share the landscapes with these animals. The balance of conservation and human safety is positioned as the core message behind the Hashti Sena campaign, according to the statements released by Sri Lanka’s environmental leadership.