153-year-old tortoise selected for New Year’s oil anointing at Dehiwala Zoo

Colombo, April 13 (Daily Mirror) - The oldest resident of the Dehiwala National Zoo, a 153-year-old giant tortoise has been selected to take part in the traditional New Year’s Anointing of Oil ceremony, scheduled to be held at 9:04 a.m. on April 16, according to the zoo's Operations Director, Anoma Priyadarshini.

She added that visitors to the Dehiwala Zoo will be able to witness the ceremony.

Elephants, zebras, hippopotamuses, Simba the lion cub, deer and several bird species have also been selected to participate in the head oiling ritual.

"The tortoise, which weighs over 400 kilograms, is expected to be a major attraction at the zoo," Priyadarshini said.

The tortoise was gifted to the zoo in 1930.