Injured tusker found unharmed

The injured Tusker Deega Danthu-i, which went missing for the past few days was found unharmed after several attempts following a daylong mission carried out by 50 Wildlife Department’s officers headed by Wildlife Deputy Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma.

Deputy Minister Thewarapperuma told the Daily Mirror that they had found the tusker on Thursday night even though they had spotted him several times in the morning the same day while trying to evade them with two other elephants.

He said they had found the tusker followed by many attempts and added that however the tusker was still in an attempt to avoid the people.

“The tusker is in fear of the drug injections which was prescribed for his gunshot injuries in one leg. Perhaps, the tusker is in an attempt to evade us. Accordingly, nine teams have gone to the Kala Wewa National Park to locate the tusker and he was found in Kahalla in the Pallekele forest reserve,” he said.

“We have found him after going in to the forest for around 35 kilometres. We did not try to give him drug injection on Thursday night since if he would again go somewhere evading us, it will be fatal for him.

He was there in the same area yesterday and we have given him an antibiotic. We will continue the treatment somehow,” he added.

He said the Special Task Force (STF) had turned down his request to deploy some STF officials to join with their search operation to find Tusker Deega Danthu-i.

He also said they had followed the tuskers footprints in the forest to locate him and added that the Deputy Minister was in Sooriyawewa for the last few days to find him.