An elephant under the ownership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been handed over to a Buddhist Temple, State Minister of Wildlife Protection Wimalaweera Dissanayake said.
Speaking to reporters in Dehiattakandiya yesterday (26), the Minister said the elephant was handed over to the Temple under the President’s directive.
Stating that over the last few days the media had caused an uproar by reporting that the President had been granted an elephant, he said that the President had given his elephant in 2015 to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.
Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake pointed out that a case was also filed in court pertaining to the elephant.
He further said, however, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has informed the Ministry that he did not want the elephant.
The Minister said that the President had also directed the Ministry to hand over the elephant to a Buddhist Temple and the animal has already been handed over to the Temple.
Several environmental organisations have taken legal action against the recent controversial release of elephants from state custody.
Environmentalists are challenging a court order issued earlier this month that would allow the return of 14 illegally captured wild elephants to people accused of buying them from traffickers.
Rights groups and lawyers say the Sept. 6 court order is based on a Government decree that violates Sri Lanka’s environmental laws. (NewsWire)