Three Sri Lankan men were arrested on Thursday after a horrific video posted to social media showed a wild elephant being set on fire. 

Police said the suspects, aged between 42 and 50, were taken into custody in the north-central district of Anuradhapura, about 125 miles north of capital Colombo.

The disturbing video, which quickly went viral on social media, shows how a defenceless elephant was set alight as the three men watched the animal suffer while its tail burned. 

A separate clip showed the elephant rolling around on the ground in agony having sustained an injury to its front leg. 

The three men were placed on remand until December 24 pending further investigations into the incident, which sparked widespread revulsion after the footage was shard online. 

Wildlife officials said the animal had first been shot and wounded before being set alight, and that veterinary surgeons’ attempts to save its life failed.

Elephants are considered sacred in Sri Lanka and are protected by law, but farmers and residents in remote villages sometimes attack wild elephants that destroy crops.

Elephants are protected under Sri Lankan law and poachers can face the death penalty for killing one. 

However, the country has not carried out an execution since 1976 and the death penalty is automatically commuted to life imprisonment.

Escalating human-elephant conflict has claimed around 400 elephant and 200 human lives annually over the past five years.

Sri Lanka has an estimated 7,000 wild elephants, regarded as a national treasure in part because of their importance in Buddhist culture.

The horrific incident in Sri Lanka comes after a passenger train hit a herd of elephants in the south Asian nation earlier this year, killing six of the animals. 

Four babies and two adults died near Minneriya wildlife sanctuary back in February.

Images showed how the train engine and several compartments had derailed following the collision. No passengers were injured. 

Minneriya National Park draws thousands of tourists each year hoping to see elephants in their wild habitats. It is part of the ‘elephant corridor’ that connects Kaudulla and Wasgamuwa National parks.

Train collisions involving elephants have increased in recent years in Sri Lanka, with elephants attempting to cross over railway tracks in search of food and water. 

They are increasingly vulnerable because of the loss and degradation of their natural habitat and many venture closer to human settlements in search of food.