Wildlife activists oppose moves to return 14 seized elephants to ’’owners’’ with court cases pending

Wildlife activists and environmentalists have raised concerns about a move to return 14 elephant back to the owners from whom they were seized a few years back on the grounds that they were held without valid documentation and that some were illegally captured from the wild.

The order to release the elephants had been given by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court following a report by the Special Investigations Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

Leading Wildlife activists and the environmentalists addressing a joint news conference said that they were against the move to return the elephants who are either in custody of the Wildlife or Zoological departments.

Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of  Environmental Justice said that a recent gazette notification which enables persons to seek fresh registration of elephants held with them has been cited.

Environmental Lawyer Jagath Gunawardena said that the particular gazette notification was issued only recently but has been made applicable to cases filed earlier.

The 14 elephants were among 38 elephants seized between the 2015 - 2019 Yahapalana government when they cracked down elephants held illegally. 

Environmentalist Sajeewa Chamikara said that it was questionable to release the elephants who are considered court productions in a case.  

Panchali Panapitiya, Communication Coordinator for Rally for Animal Rights and Environment said that people should be mindful that the elephants to be released are now of juvenile age and that any attempts at trying to crush their spirit in trying to tame them should be condemned. "'Elephants belong to the wild"', she added.

Among the elephants to be returned is an elephant which was gifted by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa to   Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the former government. The elephant was later voluntarily handed over to the Pinnawala Orphange. The other elephants are owned by Dishan Wickremaratna- Matara,  Waruna Kannangara - Horana, Chathuranga Weerasinghe - Alawwa, S.N. Roshan - Pannipitiya, Kamal Kithsiri - Kottawa, Samantha Wijemanna - Amithirigala, Buddhika Deshapriya - Hingula, Chief incumbent of Sri Sambodhi Viharaya - Colombo 7, Ajith Siri Kumara - Hokandara, Hasanthi Champika Karunaratna - Ganegoda and Bharatha Amaratunga - Meegoda.