Police hunt Vedda members, foreign national for slaughtering peacock

15 June 2024 06:02 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 17 Bookmark

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By Nimal Jayaratne – Manampitiya

The police are on the lookout for the arrest of five persons of the Vedda community and a foreign national for slaughtering a peacock, roasting its meat and consuming it inside the Maduru-Oya National Park.

The incident, which reportedly took place in 2019 or 2020, has recently come to light due to video footage shared on social media. The video has amassed over eight million views, prompting a public outcry and subsequent investigation.

Wildlife Ranger – Henanigala W. M. Kumarasiri Wijekoon informed the Mahiyangana Magistrate Court about it. The traditional hunting tools of the community such as bow and arrow had been used in hunting the peacock, which is declared a protected species.

The video shows the peacock being roasted, dipped in bee honey and eaten according to the traditional style of the indigenous community. It is reported that the incident had happened in 2019 or 2020. The crime appears to have been committed collectively.

Comments - 17

Nimal Saturday, 15 June 2024 07:09 AM

Indigenous people have been looking for justice for 2000 yrs that some had stolen their land....First give them the answer before looking for them

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robthusdgh njouyg. Saturday, 15 June 2024 10:25 PM

we have many veddas in parliament. SO WHAT

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Put criminal Vedda in prison Sunday, 16 June 2024 07:55 PM

2000 years is nothing. Our culture is 2500 years old, and Vedda cannot continue doing crimes against nature for the sake of their outdated culture.

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Terrence K Saturday, 15 June 2024 07:59 AM

The authorities are trying to teach the original indigenous natives what is good or bad for them when their habitat were the forests used for hunting for their livelihoods for centuries. Even before these Kalathonis came from our neighbouring country the indigenous natives were sustaining themselves by hunting. Now whilst these outsiders encroached on their lands of these indigenous natives now they try to lay seige trying to rob them of their food which sustained them for centuries. So don't try to teach the " Grandfathers and Grandmothers of the past how to suck eggs. The Veddah community have their own laws and if they have flouted it will be dealt by the authorities concerned!!!!!

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Gamini Saturday, 15 June 2024 08:09 AM

I remember seeing this likely half hour video about an year or two ago. It was posted by the foreigner himself on you tube. He had all details of the hunt and eating the meat. He sounded like one who travels across the world doing you tube on cultures, Cannot be difficult to locate the guy. I live overseas.

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S.P.RAMKUMAR Saturday, 15 June 2024 08:20 AM

It is a joke, Vedda has their traditional rights to hunt and eat. Peacock have to ne taken out from the list of endangered bird list, They are damaging all paddy on seeding period. Peacocks and monkeys populations must be reduced with limited time because they are damaging all agriculture produce plantings.

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Yohan Saturday, 15 June 2024 08:31 AM

What nonsense is this. Peacock are now even in major towns as the growth rate is extremely high in peacocks. They have spread like a disaster. Anyone growing crops will tell the difficulty they face. Those who cry are the ones born after 2000 and probably depending on parents still and probably living in flats buying everything from supermarkets and living in a dream world. Also these idiotic officials should be sent home and update the laws. Also this foreigner is running a very famous food review channel. Don't mess with these influential youtubers. If you harass them it will affect tourism sector. Look at egypt for example. He had a nightmare in egypt and he did not recommend that place anymore. President should intervene into this matter and get rid of these officials who acts like bunch of jokers. Also change any law that give unnecessary power to these jokers.

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Gona Monday, 17 June 2024 10:06 AM

Yohan, I think you are also one of those gen Z guys. What if you were born as a Peacock and some idiot slaughtered you. The animals have their own rights. They should be left alone in their world. If you are trying to justify that killing, all animals are a burden for you and uncivilised you tubers. Animals are a gift of nature and they are a part of biodiversity. Where did you study? Royal, St Thomas, Thurstan?

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Seeya Saturday, 15 June 2024 08:46 AM

What a farce, you take 5-6 years to file action against a person. The wild life officers didnt see the video earlier? Have you seen the video? I dont know why the Peacock is protected just because a god uses it as a vehicle, they are everywhere and I have seen so many dead on the highway. There are more pressing issues in the country to solve and much bigger crooks to catch

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Udhaya Jayampathy Saturday, 15 June 2024 09:15 AM

Who made Henanigala W. M. Kumarasiri Wijekoon a Wildlife Ranger? Peacocks have no natural predators. Therefore, to arrest the over population of peacocks Wildlife Dept must allow peacocks be selectively hunted and consumed at least by our Vedda community. I hope the learned Magistrate would reprimand this idiotic and incompetent Wildlife Ranger who doesn't understand the fundamental meaning and methods of conservation of a wildlife species under their management. Culling is a scientific form of conservation of a species to preserve its genes, make available sufficient food supply within their habitat and for their own survival and well being. Annual Crop devastation caused by "out of control" Peacock population in Sri Lanka runs in to billions thus affecting the rise in prices of vegetables and rice.

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Harsha Bandukeerthi Saturday, 15 June 2024 09:29 AM

Its a stupid law to declare a Peacock as a protected species as they are breeding abundantly everywhere. They are destroying crops.

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Umar Perera Saturday, 15 June 2024 05:19 PM

Peacocks are NOT endangered. Also, if the Veddas chose to do this according to their traditions then respect their choice. Elephants, leopards and many others are endangered. Do something about what really matters.

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DW Sunday, 16 June 2024 05:42 AM

Well said

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Tilak Fernando Sunday, 16 June 2024 12:22 AM

What does the Wild life dept, officers want Veddas to Eat? Bacon and Eggs or Imported Australian mutton? How stupid is ite Director General and The Wild life ranger to try and waste time on something that happened 5 years ago.? The Vedddas did not use Firearms but their traditional hunting materails such as bow abd arrows. There are dozens of Poachers that roam the Wild life parks and kill Deer and other animals using firearms and sell the meat to Tourist Hotels. Why dont these offices track them down and prosecute them?

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Gona Sunday, 16 June 2024 08:50 AM

Why couldn't you hunt Yoshitha veddha for slaughtering the ruggerite?

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Huzaifah Adahan Sunday, 16 June 2024 11:13 PM

I trade vegetables in the Uva province. I know that almost all farmers have trouble from the peacock as a pest since it eats up many flowers before they become vegetables or fruits bringing down the harvest. Sometimes pests like wild boar and peacock need to be hunted once in a while to control infestation. Of course under governance.

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Mahila Monday, 17 June 2024 06:34 AM

Why not Prosecute, Mahendra Percival, The Messiah and Redeemer (2004 to 2014) in all his GLORY, proceeding with construction of E02 Expressway and MRIA (Mattala), which is right in the middle of wildlife Reserve and Importantly "Bird Sanctuary" and protected by Fauna and Flora act, since 1965, without an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), resulting in so many Peacocks, Peafowls and other birds by Planes Taking-Off and landing at that desolate Int. Airport!!? Aney Paw, Ayinsakaya, foregoing 20% - sake of wildlife - Bundala Sanctuary!!?? No wonder, Basil still ‘CROWS’, even in Budget speech, "Kaak Kaak” – ‘HITTING BOEINGS’!!?? They (WLP) would never venture, go after Maestro, they are bigger Beasts, importantly, desist to envision living without, 'HANG-ON', ornament between hind legs – Reference 4-legged variety!!?? PEACOCKS to my knowledge have NONE such implements!!? FANTACY!!??

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