Cabinet approval sought to release them

The Ministry of Environment and Wildlife Resources has sought Cabinet approval to work out legal arrangements to release 35 elephants held up by the law enforcement authorities as court products of cases filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) during the previous regime, Daily Mirror learns.

Asserting that it costs Rs.250,000 a day for their maintenance, Subject

The Department of National Zoological Gardens spends Rs.180,000 a day to look after them, and the Wildlife Conservation Department Rs.71,000

Minister S. M. Chandrasena submitted the Cabinet memorandum in this regard last week. The Department of National Zoological Gardens spends Rs.180,000 a day to look after them, and the Wildlife Conservation Department Rs.71,000.

According to the Cabinet memorandum, these elephants remain tethered at the Pinnawala elephant orphanage.

The Minister, in his Cabinet paper says the wildlife authorities have received a host of complaints from local and foreign tourists against the restriction of movement of these elephants by keeping them tethered within a small space.

The Cabinet approval is sought to dispense with the court cases involving these elephants under the instructions of the Attorney General.

Also, he seeks approval to maintain a pool of domesticated elephants to be released for cultural events such as Perahera and to set up two more elephant holding grounds in Palukada of Galgamuwa in the Kurunegala District and in Maduru Oya in the Polonnaruwa District as a solution to the humanelephant conflict.

There is one such elephant holding ground functioning in Horowpothana of the Anuradhapura District.

The CID started investigations into keeping unlicensed elephants at the Buddhists temples. These elephants were taken into police custody as a result.