Pinnawala Elephants to be made available to institutions and individuals

Cabinet has approved a proposal to make available elephants from the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage and National Zoological gardens to individuals and institutions.

A statement on the decision (Document no 60) said  "maintenance of the present number of 88 elephants in a restricted land area of 30 acres at Pinnawala has become a difficult task."

As such a proposal has been put forward by Minister of Wildlife and Sustainable Development Gamini Jayawickrama Perera,  "to provide some elephants to individuals and religious places under definite conditions."

The Cabinet has approved Mr. Perera's  proposal which would permit the adoption of baby elephants to be adopted by individuals and religious places under specific conditions.

The proposal was approved by Cabinet and recommendations on issuing orders for providing elephants for Peraheras, regularizing registration of domesticated elephants and ensuring their protection were also approved.