A 71-year-old Buddhist monk, Ven. Kobeygane Gunarathana Thera, who was residing at the Ethdathgala Aranya Senasanaya in Meegalewa, died in a wild elephant attack yesterday morning (10).
The monk is reported to have encountered the elephant while returning to his meditation hut after having breakfast.
When he failed to attend the midday alms-giving, other monks at the monastery went in search of him. His body was subsequently found on a forested path leading to the meditation huts.
Residents said the Ethdathgala Aranya Senasanaya, where 19 monks reside, and the surrounding area are frequently threatened by wild elephants, with similar incidents occurring regularly.
Meegalewa Police and the Wildlife Office are conducting further investigations into the incident.
