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Thailand decides not to return Muthu Raja to Sri Lanka
By Indika Sri Aravinda
Colombo, April 28 (Daily Mirror) - The Thai government has announced that the elephant named Muthu Raja, which was taken to Thailand while under the care of the National Zoo, Dehiwala will not be returned to Sri Lanka.
Muthu Raja was taken from Sri Lanka to Thailand in 2023, with assurances that the elephant will be sent back to the country after receiving treatment for multiple injuries.
According to the Director General and Veterinary Surgeon of the National Zoo, Chandana Rajapaksa, the elephant has now fully recovered.
Last year, a medical team from the National Zoo, Dehiwala visited Thailand at the invitation of the Thai government to assess the elephant’s condition. At that time, a group of Thai officials informed the Sri Lankan team that the elephant was recovering well.
However, the Thai government later conveyed that the country’s king had decided not to return Muthu Raja to Sri Lanka.
Muthu Raja had previously received treatment at the Dehiwala Zoo for about four months, during which his injuries were still healing, according to Director General Rajapaksa.
The elephant had reportedly suffered severe abuse while in the custody of the Kande Viharaya in Aluthgama, where it had been held for around 12 years, before being transferred to the Dehiwala Zoo for treatment.
Media reports indicate that the Thai government is expected to spend over Rs. 200 million on the care and rehabilitation of Muthu Raja. It was initially planned to provide hydrotherapy treatment to the elephant’s front leg after its arrival in Thailand.
Following Muthu Raja’s return to Thailand, it has also been reported that the Thai government made inquiries about other Thai elephants previously donated to Sri Lanka.
Muthu Raja, originally gifted to Sri Lanka by the Thai government in 2001, was flown back to Thailand on July 2, 2023.
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