By Charles Haviland BBC News, Colombo

	Officials say the methods used by poachers are cruel, illegal and punishable

Poachers plant explosive materials among food to lure animals, especially wild boar, and increasing numbers of elephants are falling victim to it as well as the boars.

A picture on a local website shows a distressing sight: a young elephant with much of its mouth and trunk destroyed by explosives.

The animal was alive when the picture was taken and was taken across the island for medical treatment.

But it has now been put down.

'Could not eat'

A government wildlife vet, Vijitha Perera, told the BBC that he tried all means to see if a cure was possible but the elephant had no hope as it could not eat or drink.

It is the latest animal to fall victim to a trap by poachers.

They place explosives among food and it attracts the intended victims, wild boars, as well as elephants, especially young ones.

The grinding of the jaws leads to an explosion.

Mr Perera said that whether boars, elephants or any other animal were the victims, the method was cruel, illegal and punishable; poachers were increasing the amount of explosives used to prevent the animals escaping.

He said some perpetrators had come before the courts and been fined roughly 360 US dollars, a punishment he described as “mild”.

About two-thirds of Sri Lanka’s wild elephants live outside wildlife parks and their deaths are more often reported in clashes with farmers rather than poachers.

There is a serious human toll as well: the government says about 50 people and 200 elephants were killed in such conflicts last year.

In August it is planning the first national census of elephants.

Buddhists and Hindus here regard elephants with reverence but the deaths continue.