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The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said today that it was the responsibility of the government to look into the wellbeing of not only human beings but also the animals in zoos.
UNP parliamentarian Ajith P. Perera told media while participating in a fact finding mission in the Dehiwala Zoo today that they decided to make their third fact finding mission in the Dehiwala Zoo after they were informed by experts that several issues concerning with the wellbeing of the animals in the zoo.
He was referring to lions and hippopotamus that died recently at the zoo.
“The standard of the Zoo has deteriorated recently and the authorities had turned a blind eye. So we had to look into it as our third fact finding mission. We have a right to do so as this is a place concerned with public money,” Perera said.
MP Perera assured that they would report the issues in Parliament after having discussions with the administration.
“We know that people have issues but these animals cannot complain or protest like people do. We learnt that the animals in the zoo were in misery and the standard of the zoo is also deteriorating. The government must look into the wellbeing of the animals as well. We hope to direct the attention of the authorities towards this and hasten the proposed development work in the zoo,” he said.
Mr. P. Perera charged that Sri Lankan experts were constructing world’s best Zoo in Singapore while our National Zoo was downgrading.
“Our experts are constructing world’s best zoo in Singapore but our National Zoo is deteriorating,” he said.
UNP parliamentarians Dr. Harsha de Silva, Ruwan Wijewardane, Ajith Mannapperuma, Eran Wickramaratne, Ajith P. Perera and R. Yogarajan participated in the fact finding mission.(Ajith Siriwardana)
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