Largest number of elephants, tuskers killed during this govt.: Sudaththa Thera

12 December 2017 11:05 pm

The largest number of elephants and tuskers were killed after the Yahapalanaya government came to office and after appointment of Gamini Jayawickrama Perera as the Wildlife Minister, the convener of the national movement to protect tamed elephants, Magalkande Sudaththa Thera said today.

While speaking at a media briefing at Rajagiriya, the Thera said, another four more tuskers had been killed after killing the iconic Galagamuwe 'Dala Puttuwa' recently.

“According to the statistics and other information obtained from the Wild Life Department, same number of elephants have been disappeared. Special search operations are being conducted with the support of several army teams,” the Thera said.

“After this government came to office 117 elephants have been killed in 2015. After the appointment of the Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera as the Wild Life Minister, 131 elephants have been killed in 2016. 60 elephants had been killed by July, 2017,” the Thea said.

According to the Wild life reports, in 2005, 85 elephants have been killed. The number of elephants killed in the subsequent years as follows; 2006-117, 2007-110, 2008-153, 2009-136, 2010-123, 2011-137, 2012-110, 2013-100, 2014-104, the Thera said.

Therefore, the Minister should resign from his portfolio taking the responsibility for these killings of elephants reported in the country, except for the natural deaths of elephants. (Chaturanga Pradeep)