Police hunt Vedda members, foreign national for slaughtering peacock

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.