“Tissa Saman” died yesterday

The Tissamaharama Rajamaha Vihara elephant “Tissa Saman” that had been under treatment at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage died last morning.

The elephant “Tissa Saman” had been donated to the temple in 1979 by the then President J.R. Jayewardene and Prime Minister R. Premadasa to the Chief Incumbent of the temple Ven. Devalegama Dhammasena Thera.

However when the elephant had trampled its mahout to death it had been severely beaten and hidden in a secret location in Elapatha until the officials of the elephant orphanage seized it on a court order in April 2018.

A senior official of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage said the elephant had received injuries in the beating and that a team of veterinary surgeons of the elephant orphanage and the staff provided treatment to the injured elephant at a colossal expenditure of about Rs.100,000 a day.

Meanwhile, a Swedish lady who had petted the elephant during her visit to the Tissamaharama Rajamaha Vihara arrived in Sri Lanka a couple of days ago to see the sick elephant.

The Maha Sangha performed religious rites for the elephant.