Environmentalists to take legal action against release of elephants held under govt custody

The environmental activists are planning to take legal action against the decision to release 14 elephants to their owners.

The environmentalist said that they would go ahead with legal action despite court vacation and pandemic restrictions.

Ravindranath Dabare, Chairman, Centre for Environmental Justice said that they were finalising the requirements to take legal action in the Supreme Court against the release of the 14 elephants, as well as the gazette issued on August 19.

Environmental lawyer, Jagath Gunawardena pointed out that there were certain issues even with the term ‘elephant owners’. He said that wild animals such as elephants cannot be owned by anyone. An elephant can only be held captive by a person who has proper legal permits issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, hence such persons are elephant care takers.

Therefore, such persons cannot be wrongly interpreted as ‘owners’, and elephants be hand over to them like some property being returned to its owner.

He said that such issues would degrade the Attorney General’s Department.

Mr Gunawardena also pointed out that there are several issues with the gazette issued on August 19. He said that even though the pervious wildlife regulations have banned elephants being used for commercial activities, through the gazette, guild lines are issued to use elephants for rides.

Communication Coordinator at Rally for Animal Rights & Environment- (RARE) said that the elephants which have been released back to their owners would  again be subjected to face torture and ill treatment.

Environmentalists including Rukshan Jayewardena, Sujeewa Chamikara and researcher/environmentalist from Biodiversity Research Circle Supun Lahiru Prakash expressed their views regarding the current position of the elephant smuggling racket.