Smuggling baby elephants

1 May 2011 01:30 pm Views - 4703

By Lakna Paranamanna

Investigations are being carried out on several incidents of alleged smuggling of baby elephants from national parks and reserves around the country, the Wildlife Conservation Department Director General Dr. Chandrawansa Pathiraja told Daily Mirror online

Authoritative sources told Daily Mirror that during the past year alone at least 10 baby elephants have been smuggled out of national parks and reserves by a group of racketeers. “We have received information that these individuals who carry out this racket are taken care of by several powerful and influential personalities. We have learnt that most of the baby elephants that were smuggled out from parks in this manner are currently in several renowned temples located in Colombo and its suburbs,” the sources revealed. 

Meanwhile, Dr. Pathiraja who stated that they have received information on several cases concerning the alleged smuggling of baby elephants said that they would ensure that laws will be carried out on any individual who is found guilty of such charges.

The sources revealed that most of these smuggled baby elephants’ ages range between one month and nine years and had been snatched from parks around the country including Ritigala, Kantale and Udawalawa. (Daily Mirror online)