Excess elephants at Pinnawala to be given to individuals

Cabinet has granted approval to hand over some elephants at the?Pinnawala elephant orphanage to individuals and religious places of worship under strict conditions.

The approval was granted on a?proposal made by Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife?Gamini Jayawickrama Perera in order to address overcrowding at the?Pinnawala elephant orphanage.

“Maintenance of the present number of 88 elephants in a restricted land area of 30 acres at Pinnawala has become a difficult task. Accordingly, the proposal made by Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife, to provide some elephants to individuals and religious places under definite conditions, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers,” the government information department said.

Recommendations on issuing orders for providing elephants for peraheras, regularizing the registration of domesticated elephants and ensuring their protection was?also approved by the cabinet. (Colombo Gazette)