Police in Sri Lanka have arrested three men for allegedly burning a wild elephant with flaming torches while trying to chase it away, local media reported.
A video of the incident, which took place in a village in the country's north, triggered fierce backlash as it circulated on social media this week.
Despite receiving treatment from veterinarians, the male elephant died on Tuesday.
The suspects, who were arrested on Thursday, are aged between 42 and 50, local media reported.
The male elephant was found with severe burns and a gunshot wound on its leg. It had also been treated by vets on several occasions earlier this year, local media reported.
