Yala incident: VIP ‘animals’ facing legal consequences now

The vehicles of VIPs which entered Yala National Park and stirred a controversy 

Just because these individuals who visited Yala NP felt that they may be privileged individuals felt that they are entitled to do what they want, does not make it right.  Their behavior was despicable.  We have to realize that sand dunes, coastal habitats like salt marshes and mud flats are excellent places for biodiversity
Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya Former Director General of the Wildlife Department

We often come across reports about VIP sons and their friends sneaking into national parks of Sri Lanka in private vehicles for joyriding. A similar incident was reported in Polonnaruwa Flood Plains National Park in 2021. Those involved were punished by law and the vehicles were impounded and the Polonnaruwa wildlife officials took actions to present them before the court and punish them.

Another similar incident was reported on October 23. As the media reported a group including a cabinet minister’s son entered the Yala National Park in about thirty-five luxury vehicles and misbehaved. This was also confirmed by the Director General of Wildlife. According to the Wildlife Department these vehicles entered Yala Block 1 and II and seven wildlife officers (trackers) accompanied this group. Videos taken by the group involved show them drifting and speeding their vehicles in a way that disturb animals within the National Park. A spokesperson of the Wildlife Department confirmed that this group had not acted according to the instructions of the wildlife officials. According to the Director General of Wildlife the wildlife officers who went to guide them had failed to guide them properly.

The group engaged in reckless driving in the Yala National Park included members of the Wellawaya Motor Vehicle Association and the Nikaweratiya Poultry Farm Owners Association, according to the WD spokesperson. However, according to other internal sources, an automotive repair shop is behind this incident. It is said that this shop brings jeeps that are repaired annually to one place to film the vehicle operations.

The Director General of Wildlife stated that legal action would be taken against those who ran amok in the Yala Park in cabs and defenders. There are videos of this group driving in areas reserved for wild animals in the park. They have violated the law even on the expressway by parking on the highway to film other vehicles. Videos show them driving their vehicles causing distress to wild animals in the park. Former Director General of the Wildlife Department, Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya, said that it is illegal to drive vehicles in a way harassing wild animals in a sensitive area of  the national park. “An area is declared as a national park for the welfare of animals. Driving vehicles in this manner in the Yala Park creates an adverse effect on the ecosystem of the park and animals. There are strict rules for such behaviours in the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance and the Wildlife Department should punish such people as per those rules.”, he added.
We received information about the vehicle registration plates and owners of 15 vehicles that entered the Yala Park. 

Videos taken by the group involved show them drifting and speeding their vehicles in a way that disturb animals within the National Park

Among them, nine who were arrested for recklessly driving within the Yala National Park were
released on bail after they were produced before Tissamaharama Magistrate. They include
Munasingha Dhanushka Prasad of Batahelyaya in Tissamaharamaya, Rangoda Gamacharige Suresh
Chathuranga of Ranminitenna in Tissamaharamaya, Hazmidin Mohhamed Safiq of Polgolla,
Mohamed Gouz Mohamed of Wellampitiya, Chamikara Buddhika Chathuranga of Wellawaya and
Abdul Razzik Raquib of Kurunegala.

In addition vehicles bearing number plates UP- CIB4779, WP-JY 3902, CAS 7494, CPPI 1124, 31-5495,
NW CAO 1886 and CPKI 3907 with their keys were produced as evidence before court.
Following the incident the Department of Wildlife Conservation announced that they would take legal actions on the culprits. As such, immediate steps were taken to suspend the services of trackers who aided and abetted the culprits while the Ministry of agriculture, wildlife and forest resource conservation ministry blacklisted the vehicles and individuals from any national park in the country for a period of three years. In addition nine individuals and six vehicles that were taken into custody was produced before courts on Wednesday (October 26)and were subsequently released on bail.

“People shouldn’t visit a National Park if they don’t respect wildlife : Dr. Pilapitiya 

“A National Park is declared because of the sensitivity of its ecosystems and due to the diversity of fauna and flora in that area,” opined leading elephant researcher and former Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department Dr. Sumith Pilapitiya. “It is expressly a safe haven for wildlife and to ensure that sensitive ecosystems are conserved.  Visitation to National Parks is not a right but a privilege.  So we humans who enter National Parks have to be cognizant of that,” he said. 
Due to the ecological sensitivity, there are rules and regulations that must be followed when visiting a National Park.  

A spokesperson of the Wildlife Department confirmed that this group had not acted according to the instructions of the wildlife officials

Rules with regard to speed limits and not going off road are to minimize adverse impacts. 
 “Just because these individuals who visited Yala NP felt that they may be privileged individuals felt that they are entitled to do what they want, does not make it right.  Their behavior was despicable.  We have to realize that sand dunes, coastal habitats like salt marshes and mud flats are excellent places for biodiversity.  Off road driving in areas which appear to be sand and rocks to the ignorant minds of the people who acted as morons, are actually functioning ecosystems with a diversity of species that could be irreversibly affected by such thoughtless actions. 
 The reason that visitors to National Parks are prohibited from driving or even walking off road is precisely to protect such sensitive ecosystems,” explained Pilapitiya. 

“Some of the areas that these people were misbehaving are areas frequented by leopards and their cubs,” he continued.  “Leopards are generally illusive and hard to observe, but Yala NP is one of the few national parks in the world that leopards are habituated to visitors and vehicles and that is the reason that Yala has such wonderful leopard sightings.  But the type of irresponsible behavior that was displayed by these people inside Yala NP would obviously scare away leopards and their cubs.  It could scare the cubs enough for them never to venture near vehicles in Yala. We humans claim to be the most evolved species--that certainly was not on display in Yala last week. As I mentioned earlier, visiting a National Park is not a right, but a privilege.  We really should be observing wildlife in such a manner that wildlife don’t even realize that we are around them. Yala has many issues with regard to misbehavior of visitors and safari jeep drivers, but what we saw on social media took this to a whole different level. If people have no respect for wildlife and its habitats people should not visit a National Park.  DWC protected areas are around 14% of the country, so these inconsiderate, irresponsible people can use the other 86% of the country to behave stupidly, if they want to,” he said.   

The Director General of Wildlife stated that legal action would be taken against those who ran amok in the Yala Park in cabs and defenders

Dr. Pilapitiya further said that the National Park officials who accompanied these people should have ensured that the park rules and regulations are followed.  “The whole purpose of them accompanying these vehicles was to ensure that the park rules were followed and disciplinary action taken if there are violations,” Dr. Pilapitiya said.
Responding to a question on why park officials should strictly enforce these rules and regulations, Dr. Pilapitiya said that while DWC officials should be held accountable, we also have to realize the reality of the ground situation.  “If visitors having political connections, political patronage or even a misplaced sense of entitlement, enter a national park, they feel that they can do as they please because they are well connected to the political authorities and if they are reprimanded, they can use their contacts to pressurize the DWC officials to “turn a blind eye”. So the problem is that Sri Lanka does not have one set of rules and laws for all citizens.  People who have political or other connections and feel a sense of entitlement feel that rules do not apply to them,” he said. 

“While I am not sure of what connections these perpetrators have, the fact that they acted in such a brazen manner is adequate evidence that they felt that they could get away with it. While I fully agree that DWC should ensure that rules and regulations are strictly enforced, we as the public ,should also ensure that when DWC enforces rules in national parks, that there is no political pressure on DWC to reverse its decisions.  I have first hand experience of the political authorities trying to interfere with DWC actions when one of their “people” have been reprimanded and disciplined. If this type of political interference can be stopped, the public can then hold DWC accountable for enforcing the rules in national parks. The first step is to stop political interference in the way DWC manages its visitors in National Parks.  Then we are in a position to ensure that DWC enforces rules without fear or favor,” he added.

WNPS commends DWC over taking legal action on the visitors 

The Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) strongly condemned the  disgraceful conduct of a group of visitors to both Blocks I & II  of the Yala National Park. “The reports in the National media, backed by videos being shared on social media, show a group of men abusing the precious habitat of the Park, in a fleet of 4 wheel drive vehicles, driving off road and at speed, and breaking many other rules, such as night driving and alighting from their vehicles. What these individuals need to know is that our precious habitat not only consists of our iconic species such as leopards and mammals but all types of bio-diversity from the smallest ant to the largest land mammal, our elephant. It is learned that they entered the Park via the Main Entrance, and so the registration numbers, and identity of the drivers must have been recorded by the DWC authorities at the Park when tickets were issued to enter. It is reliably understood that the Department of Wildlife Conservation has taken legal action and filed in courts of Tissamaharama. WNPS commends the DWC in taking these legal measures to prosecute the perpetrators of this well-recorded outrage against the Natural Heritage of this Nation within the confines of its most renowned National Park. We will do our best to support the DWC in this endeavor of legal action,” a WNPS spokesperson further said. 

Action taken by DWC 

When asked on what conditions the suspects were released on bail, DWC Director General M. G. C Sooriyabandara said that they produced all evidence in courts and it was the courts that decided that there’s no sufficient evidence to hold them in custody. He said that there’s an issue with regards to manpower but they are taking all measures to prevent these incidents from being repeated. Sooriyabandara further said that disciplinary inquiries are being conducted on the park officials whose services have been suspended.