Elephant shot due to mistaken identity

 A tame elephant was injured after a Civil Defense guard attached to the Wildlife Department shot at it mistaking it for a wild elephant which have come near the Mahaweli River in Mahiyanganaya

The Officer In Charge (OIC) of Mahiyanganaya police Chief Inspector A.N Wijeratne explained that the incident occurred today early morning as the people who came to see the morning perahera procession of Mahiyagana Rajamaha viharaya yesterday had complained to the officers of the Department of Wildlife of an elephant that was seen near The bank of the Mahaweli River, as elephants are frequented the area.

However the elephant which was tethered to tree near the bank of the river was a captive elephant which went in procession at the Saman Devalaya perahara in Mahiyaganaya during the previous day.

The Civil Defense Guard has been arrested over firing and causing injuries to a tame elephant.

He added that wildlife officers and a civil defense guard have arrived to drive away the elephant according to the complaint made by people, The Civil defense guard have shot at the elephant using a shot gun injuring one of its front leg and side attempting to drive away the elephant. The officer claimed that they believed that the Civil Defense officer had not seen the shackles tethering the elephant to the tree.

Mr Wijeratne said as the elephant owner had complained over the incident and dissatisfied over the conduct of the DWC, The police have produced the guard to the Mahiyanganaya Magistrate courts, and he was released on a surety bail of Rs 100,000.

Meanwhile a statement issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation under the signature of its Director Genaral Chandana Sooriyabandara said that DWC officials deployed to safe guard the people who come to see the annual perahara procession held near the Mahiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya had carried out a shooting to drive away wild elephants by using rubber bullets and during the process have accidentally shot a tame elephant brought for Perahera.

 The statement says the DWC veterinary surgeon was deployed to provide the initial treatment for the injured animal and an investigation regarding the matter would be held by team of officials of the relevant institutions under the direction of the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation.