Pellets found in elephant’s head recovered from Kirindi Oya

16 November 2023 01:58 pm Views - 1297

By Sumanasiri Gunatilleka

Judging from the pellets found in the head of the elephant recovered from Kirindi Oya at Thelulla colony in Kudaoya, wildlife conservators have decided that the jumbo had been shot dead.

Assistant Wildlife Conservator, Southern Province, Upul Indrajith, said two pellets had been recovered by the Veterinary Surgeon of the Wildlife Conservation Department, Dr. Ananda Dharmakirthi, who performed the postmortem examination. 

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the jumbo had been shot dead, cut into pieces, and dumped in the river. Wildlife officers said the other parts of the carcass were yet to be recovered.

Meanwhile, the Cultural and Environmental Studies Center (CES), which offered a cash prize to anyone who provides information on the killing of the wild elephant, requested that the public call the Wildlife Department’s hotline (1992) or 0719005549 of the CES to provide information, if any.