The elephant population has increased by 50 percent during the last 15 years, a recent survey by the Department of Wildlife Conservation reveals.

The increase in elephant population has aggravated the human-elephant conflict and caused more than 50 human deaths and 150 elephant deaths during this year.

Of a total population of 5,350 elephants 33 per cent live outside the protected areas causing conflicts between elephants and humans, according Department of Wildlife Conservation Director Ananda Wijesooriya.

Wijesuriya told The Island yesterday elephant population had increased in provinces such as Northwestern, Southern, Eastern and Central and in the Mahaweli region.

The number of elephants has increased from 673 in 1993 to 2,149 today in the Mahaweli area; in the Northwestern from 589 to 1,400; in the South from 521 to 1,336; in the East from 154 to 346 and in the Central province from 30 to 119.

The Department of Wildlife says the number of elephants in the country could be between 5,000 and 6,000, which is quite high for a small country.

The study reveals that of the elephants living inside the protected areas about 70 per cent move out in search of food and water