How to avoid wild elephant attacks on rural Sri Lankan roads?

Don’t honk, don’t flash your high beams, and don’t try to squeeze past wild elephants you meet on rural roads; it can make things worse. Pull over with some space, leave the engine on, and just let the animal move through or disappear on its own.

When an elephant starts coming closer, slowly reverse your vehicle to give yourself room, and avoid any sudden movements. Also, try not to drive at night on well-known wildlife corridors like Habarana, Buttala, or in the vicinity of Udawalawe because visibility gets low, and elephant movement ramps up strongly after dusk.