COLOMBO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan government plans to construct 1,000 kilometers of fences in 2024 to prevent elephants from entering human-populated areas, Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Pavithra Wanniarachchi said on Wednesday.

The minister told the media that the escalating human-elephant conflict is a significant concern.

She said both the human and elephant populations are rising and the cultivation activities of people are encroaching upon elephant habitats.

Pilot projects involving high beam lights, high-frequency sound waves and drones, with the support of the Navy and Air Force are underway to explore ways of deterring elephants from entering certain areas, according to the minister.

The death toll from the human-elephant conflicts hit a record high last year with 145 people and 433 elephants killed, according to official data. Enditem

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