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Shocking: Hungarian tourist killed in elephant attack in Sri Lanka
A 64-year-old Hungarian man has died after being attacked by a wild elephant in Sri Lanka on Monday, in the Pidurangala–Sigiriya area. The man had been walking with his wife when the incident occurred.
He was rushed to hospital in Sigiriya with serious injuries, but doctors were unable to save his life. Police are investigating the circumstances of the tragedy.
At the scene is Miklós Farkas, a Hungarian tour guide and travel organiser specialising in Sri Lanka and the founder of srilanka.hu, who says the region’s geographical characteristics alone justify extra caution.
A popular yet wild destination
The Sigiriya–Pidurangala Rock region is one of the country’s best-known tourist destinations, but it also borders untamed wilderness. Around the famous rock fortress and hiking areas, rice fields, villages, guesthouses and dense jungle alternate, meaning elephant habitats often overlap with roads and walking paths used by visitors.
As a result, unexpected encounters with wildlife are not uncommon.
“This is elephant country”
Farkas, who specialises in organising trips to Sri Lanka, said the geography alone justifies extra caution.
“In the area where this happened, there are several national parks. Elephants move freely between them, as they obviously don’t recognise park boundaries,” he explained. “Minneriya National Park and Hurulu Eco Park are all elephant country, home to more than 3,000 animals living freely in the wild.”
He stressed that one of the biggest misconceptions is that elephants remain inside national parks. In reality, they regularly appear along roads and near settlements.
“During tours, it’s quite normal for an elephant to step in front of a bus, stop, look around or cross the road. It’s like a cat crossing the street in Hungary – except it’s a much larger and far more dangerous animal,” he said.
Farkas added that unguided walks can be particularly risky. Even experienced travellers should avoid setting out alone in certain parts of Sri Lanka. He recommends organising trips in advance with professional operators and local driver-guides familiar with the terrain and potential dangers.
Part of a wider, long-term problem
Following the attack, police issued a warning asking tourists to avoid walking alone outside populated areas and to follow posted safety signs and regulations. Investigators are also examining the exact route taken by the couple.
The tragedy highlights a longstanding nationwide issue known as the human–elephant conflict. Shrinking habitats, agricultural expansion and infrastructure development have increasingly forced humans and elephants into close contact.
A study covering the period between 1991 and 2018 found that more than 1,700 people and nearly 4,800 elephants died in such encounters over those three decades.
The Sigiriya region has seen similar incidents before. In 2024, a Canadian tourist was also attacked by an elephant after straying from a designated safe route.
Experts say prevention is key: staying on marked paths, taking warning signs seriously and following local guides’ advice can significantly reduce risks in areas where tourist trails and the wilderness easily overlap.
If you missed it:
How can you find it shocking, that an elderly man is overpowered by an elephant?
Or do you find it shocking, that a war beast used for millennia is actually dangerous?
I don’t get it.
When you are on vacation somewhere you are out of your element and more prone to not realizing dangerous hazards. Combine that with alcohol when you are having a good time and you can multiply that risk.
It is crazy to me, that people think it is safe to go for a walk in any wildlife territory with massive wild animals! Also how come nobody from the organizers of this wildlife touristic trip forget to tell them about not wondering around and about in the wild like they are taking a walk in the Hungarian countryside
Comments regarding tourists and alcohol are inappropriate here. You are wrong, the couple were coming back from a climb up Pidurangala there were no ‘selfies’ or alcohol involved as some sort of reason why the elephant attacked. The onus should not be entirely put on tourists who clearly are unaware as to the level of risk. Signage and information is insufficient and there should be wires and lighting at possible places of conflict.
Niagara Falls has two falls – one on the American side and the bigger one called Horseshoe Falls that splits the American and Canadian sides. I’m there with overseas relatives a few meters from the lip of the falls and a Japanese teenager fell into the water and went right over the falls in front of me. People sit on the railing or stand on a stone ledge attached below the rail standing in a dangerous way. I talked to someone who lives in a village downstream and she said a few bodies wash up on the riverbanks every year.