No, Randeniye Bandara the Beloved Tusker Is Not Dead — He Is Alive and Being Treated

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Few animals are as well known to Sri Lankans as Randeniye Bandara, the majestic tusker also called the Warakagoda elephant, a regular sight at temple peraheras. So, when he was struck by a tipper truck on the Kurunegala–Dambulla road on July 28, 2026, the whole country followed the news anxiously. Within a day, mainstream outlets and social media feeds were reporting that he had died, and grief spread fast. We investigated. Here is what we found.

Social Media Posts:

This is how mainstream media reported that the tusker had died:

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Social media users also widely shared the claim:

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Fact Check:

How the accident happened

The elephant was being transported from Randeniye in Kegalle toward Polonnaruwa for the annual perahera at the Manampitiya temple. A tire on the lorry carrying him went flat, and while repairs were underway, he was unloaded and kept at the roadside. At that point, a sand-laden tipper truck travelling from Dambulla toward Kurunegala came on unsafely and recklessly and collided with him. Melsiripura Police arrested the tipper driver.

Social media users also shared footage of the tusker being moved to a nearby location for treatment. Those reports are here and here.

The treating vet confirmed the tusker is alive

To get the facts, we contacted Veterinarian Tharindu Wijekoon, who is treating the injured Randeniye Bandara tusker. He said reports of the tusker’s death are false. The elephant is alive and is currently receiving the treatment he needs. As he was busy with the treatment at the time, the vet asked that further details about the tusker’s condition be discussed later.

Melsiripura Police also rejected the death reports

When we contacted the Officer-in-Charge of the Melsiripura Police Station, he too confirmed that reports of the tusker’s death are false. He said the driver of the tipper truck responsible for the accident had been arrested and was being produced in court that day, and that the crash was caused by the driver’s reckless driving.

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Conclusion:

Our investigation found that the reports published on July 29, 2026, claiming that the Randeniye Bandara tusker injured on July 28, 2026, had died, are false. The elephant is alive and receiving treatment.

This was confirmed to us by Veterinarian Tharindu Wijekoon, who is treating the tusker, and by the Officer-in-Charge of the Melsiripura Police Station. The driver of the tipper truck that caused the accident has been arrested and produced in court.