Two rare elephants in Sinharaja to be shifted to new detention centre

Two rare elephants in the Sinharaja forest reserve are to be shifted to a new detention centre.

Cabinet has approved the establishment of an elephant detention centre for the two elephants.

The cabinet approved the Proposal presented by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, Minister of Sustainable Development, Wild Life and Regional Development to take over 36 hectares of land in the Parugala area (in Dolekanda Grama Niladhari Division) for this purpose.

Fonseka had earlier threatened to resign from his Ministerial portfolio over the Sinharaja elephant issue.

Fonseka had said that his duty is to resolve the human-elephant conflict resulting from the elephants in Sinharaja.

The Minister had said that if anyone attempts to pull his leg when he looks to resolve the issue he will resign.

Earlier, a decision taken to shift the two rare elephants from the Sinharaja forest reserve had been suspended on the instructions of the President. President Maithripala Sirisena had instructed the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation to keep the two rare elephants in the Sinharaja forest reserve, a World Heritage site, until a decision was taken after formulating a proper procedure.


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