In an analysis of wildlife ranger fatalities in Sri Lanka between 1949 and 2020, researchers recorded 80 deaths – at least one a year. They found that most casualties occurred in protected areas, with homicides accounting for 64% of total deaths. Excluding a terrorist massacre in 1985 that led to 24 casualties, the most significant current risk to rangers aside from encounters with wildlife – namely elephants – are poachers. Notably, attacks by wildlife criminals engaged in illegal wildlife trade have been slowly but steadily increasing since 2010.