Plans underway to give elephants to temples and acquire lands to Pinnawala

It is reported that plans are afoot to give three elephants to temples and Dewalayas and augment the adjacent lands which have issues with the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (PEO), that belongs to several close associates of the Wildlife Minister, Ministry sources said.

They said the Ministry had requested the names of three elephants from the PEO to hand them over to temples and Dewalayas. However, several senior officials of the PEO said only elephants which are lesser than eight-years-old could be given to temples and Dewalayas. According to the Wild Life Act, no one can take elephants out of the PEO without a special cabinet paper stating the requirement.

Meanwhile, the official said plans are underway to acquire the extent of lands which have issues with the PEO. It was reported that those lands belonged to close associates of the minister. Those lands were encroached by the people who looked after the elephant orphanage and which were not needed for the expansion.

The Ministry sources said that the current Director General of the Zoological Department has worked against the above requests by the Minister and, therefore, the Minister and the Secretary are trying to remove the current DG with the help of the Zoological Department's union members.

However, plans are being drawn to acquire the lands, they said.

When the Daily Mirror contacted the Ministry Secretary, Somarathne Dissanayake, he said he was unaware of such activities and did not know anything about assaulting the veterinary doctor at the Ridiyagama Safari Park. (Chatuanga Samarawickrama)