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Wednesday, 2 October 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A joint memorandum, presented by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Ministry, on regulation and transferring the possession of tamed elephants under the ongoing judicial proceedings and investigations, was approved by Cabinet yesterday.
This covers the maintenance, welfare and safety of tamed elephants in the custody of the National Zoological Gardens and the Department of Wildlife Conservation, pending judicial proceedings and investigations.
In Sri Lanka, 383 tamed elephants have presently been registered under the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Out of the same, 118 elephants have been registered under the Department of National Zoological Gardens, and 16 of them have died so far. As a result, the number of tamed elephants under the custody of the Department of National Zoological Gardens is currently 102, official data showed.
“Judicial proceedings have been taken against 49 tamed elephants for various reasons, including registration of forged documents, since 2016. Of that, 39 elephants were kept under the custody of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Department of National Zoological Gardens, until the judicial proceedings were to be completed,” Tourism Development, Wildlife Minister John Amaratunga told journalists yesterday.
In addition, three elephants has been granted under “Sannas Pathra”, and six elephants were registered under forged licenses, he said.
The Minister also said a special land will be identified to relocate these elephants in the near future.
“We need a land of at least 500 acres to relocate these elephants. The search of a suitable land will be done either by the Forest Department or by the Land Reform Commission. Once it is identified, we need to seek Cabinet approval for it,” he added.
The joint Cabinet paper was signed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga, and Buddhasasana and Wayamba Development Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera.
According to data, 265 elephants have been registered under private ownership, and 139 of these are dead, while 126 are alive.
Further, as per investigations, it was revealed that six of the said elephants were registered under forged licences. Thus the number of elephants presently alive under legitimate private registration is 120. Accordingly, the total number of tamed elephants presently alive in Sri Lanka is 222.
