by Tharindu Muthukumarana
Author of the award-winning book “The Life of Last Proboscideans: Elephants”
Kavantissa was a tusker that roamed the Galgamuwa and Anuradhapura areas. With his elegant tusks, he was recently regarded, anecdotally, as the largest tusker in Sri Lanka. He was well known for crossing the Ambanpola–Galgamuwa road, which adjoins the Kasikote railway line. This is also the location where Sri Lanka’s first railway elephant underpass is being constructed.
Following the death of tusker Bathiya from gunshot wounds last year, many wildlife enthusiasts raised concerns about the risks facing Kavantissa, as he also roamed within Bathiya’s home range. Some even appealed to the government to provide Kavantissa with special protection, similar to that afforded to the tusker Ahmed in Kenya. In 1970, President Jomo Kenyatta declared Ahmed a national treasure and protected him under a presidential decree. To implement this protection, two special guards were assigned to monitor Ahmed day and night until his death from natural causes.
Although Kavantissa did not receive any special security measures from the government, numerous volunteers were willing to undertake various initiatives to protect him and other elephants in the area. For example, a villager, named Kumara, used to stop traffic whenever Kavantissa and other elephants crossed the road. Furthermore, in an effort to reduce human–elephant conflict in the Galgamuwa area, a group of young people developed an app called ‘Elephant Journey’, which provides real-time tracking, elephant-sighting reports, and safety alerts.
On 20 September, Kavantissa was spotted limping with a gunshot wound, and the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) provided veterinary treatment. Although signs of healing were observed, he later developed diarrhoea and a loss of appetite. On the morning of 16 October, Kavantissa was found collapsed in the Siyambalangamuwa area. He died at 6.18 p.m. that day.
Scientifically, Is There Reason to Question Kavantissa’s Death?
Following Kavantissa’s death, several environmentalists suggested that he may have succumbed to an antibiotic overdose. However, the DWC denied these allegations. Nevertheless, is there a scientific basis for questioning the circumstances of his death? To explore this question, let us examine the available information.
* Musth condition:
When Kavantissa got shot, he was in ‘musth’ condition. Musth is a periodic biological condition in adult bull elephants characterized by a massive surge in testosterone hormones, and physiologically they are in good condition. Which means they are in good health. An elephant can go out of musth early or “drop out” of musth if he becomes sick, seriously injured, or severely stressed.
* Activity following the injury:
When the injury was first detected, Kavantissa was reportedly somewhat active. In contrast, elephants suffering from severe injuries may exhibit lethargy, although their responses vary, depending on the nature and severity of the injury.
* Signs of wound healing:
Over time, Kavantissa’s wound reportedly showed signs of improvement. This raises questions about the subsequent deterioration in his condition, although external wound healing alone does not establish that an animal is recovering fully.
* Deterioration following treatment:
Despite the apparent improvement in his wound following veterinary treatment, Kavantissa subsequently developed diarrhoea and a loss of appetite. His condition later deteriorated to the point that he collapsed, and he died despite treatment. Antibiotics can cause gastrointestinal side effects, including diarrhoea, and certain medications can cause other adverse reactions. However, these symptoms alone do not establish an overdose or prove that the treatment caused his death. Establishing such a link would require a thorough veterinary investigation, including a review of the medications and dosages administered and, where appropriate, post-mortem examination and toxicological testing.
In a human death, it may warrant further investigation when it occurs unexpectedly and its cause or surrounding circumstances remain unexplained from a medical or legal standpoint. Therefore, it is reasonable to seek clarification regarding the circumstances of Kavantissa’s death. However, the available observations are insufficient to establish that an antibiotic overdose caused his death. A fair, independent, and scientifically rigorous investigation should be conducted before any conclusions are reached.
Was Kavantissa an Old Elephant?
The DWC stated that Kavantissa was an old elephant in the latter stages of his life and that, in human years, his age would be equivalent to 80 years. However, this comparison may not be scientifically justified without a reliable method of converting elephant age into human age.
Humans and elephants share certain broad similarities in their biological development, although their developmental stages and ageing processes differ. Both species undergo puberty, reach adulthood, and eventually experience age-related physiological changes in similar ages. In both species ages 20-30 years would be considered as young adults, and middle ages would be 30-50. According to modern-day statistics, there is a difference in life span wherein humans would be 70-80 years, while elephants would be 60 years. But without modern medical facilities and technology, even the average human life expectancy would be 60 years.
Although male elephants attain sexual maturity at a relatively young age (14-15 years), they often do not begin mating successfully until they are 40 and 55 years of age. This is largely because younger males must compete with older, more physically developed bulls, which generally have greater social dominance and reproductive advantages. Consequently, sexual maturity does not necessarily translate into immediate reproductive success. Male elephants remain capable of breeding and experiencing musth into their 60s, closely matching their natural lifespan.
Based on the available information, Kavantissa may have been approximately 40–50 years old at the time of his death. So he died during a significant period of his reproductive life. Had he survived, he might have had further opportunities to reproduce and pass on his genes.
On the other hand, further considering the comparison made by DWC about Kavantissa’s age with an 80-year-old human doesn’t make any sense at all because in humans at age 80, sperm quality is lower.
What Needs to Improve?
Patrolling is essential for protecting Sri Lanka’s elephants, as it enables Wildlife officers to detect and prevent illegal activities before they result in serious injury or death. There have been numerous incidents in which elephants have died from injuries caused by trap guns. These devices are generally intended to target animals hunted for bushmeat rather than elephants. However, when an elephant triggers a trap gun, the resulting injury often affects its limbs. Given the enormous weight elephants must bear on their limbs, such injuries can become life-threatening.
Kavantissa’s injury was also suspected to have been caused by a trap gun. Moreover, injured elephants and those receiving veterinary treatment while remaining close to human settlements are particularly vulnerable to harassment, deliberate attacks, and other forms of human interference. Therefore, elephants in fragile health conditions require continuous monitoring. Regular monitoring would allow Wildlife officers to assess an injured elephant’s condition, protect it from further harm, and coordinate timely veterinary assistance.
It is also essential to ensure the full implementation of the ‘National Action Plan for the Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict’, as human–elephant conflict accounts for a substantial proportion of elephant deaths in Sri Lanka. Effective implementation of the plan is crucial to addressing the underlying causes of conflict and improving elephant protection.
Furthermore, there is a need to establish globally recognised, evidence-based guidelines for the treatment and management of elephants. Just as human medicine does not rely on a single universal medical protocol covering every clinical condition, veterinary medicine draws upon a combination of peer-reviewed clinical guidelines, authoritative reference textbooks, and species-specific international frameworks. Developing and adopting internationally recognised standards for elephant veterinary care would help promote consistency in treatment and improve clinical outcomes.
Additionally, Sri Lanka faces a shortage of wildlife veterinary surgeons. Increasing recruitment and providing better remuneration, professional benefits, and working conditions could help attract and retain qualified professionals in this specialised field. Strengthening veterinary capacity, alongside improved field monitoring and law enforcement, would contribute significantly to the protection and welfare of Sri Lanka’s elephants.