Heartbreaking photos of elephants searching for food at Sri Lanka garbage dump go viral

Stark images of elephants foraging for good at a garbage dump in Sri Lanka bagged the first prize in this year's Royal Society of Biology (RSB).

Elephants have been found with plastic products in their stomachs and non-digestive polythene after devouring rubbish at a dump in the country that encroaches on their habitat.

Jaffna-based photographer Tharmaplan Tilaxan captured the award-winning images at a facility in Oluvil.

The elephants face great danger from the microplastics they accidentally devour from the garbage dump.

Waste from districts including Sammanthurai, Kalmunai, Karaitheevu, Ninthavur, Addalachchenai, Akkaraipattu and Alaiyadi Vembu is dumped there.

The dump is close to the forest bordering the Ampara district and is thought to be the cause of the new unhealthy behaviour.