More Regulations To Protect Wild Elephants

Crisis

Minister of Wildlife Resources Conservation, Vijith Vijayamuni Soyza, is planning to introduce a new law prescribing that any individual who wishes to keep a wild elephant in his custody must register the animal for a sum of Rs 1 million and must possess a land of at least five acres in extent. Minister said a work underway to formulate a paper with all set of proposals for approval of the government by next week.  

When the new conditions come into effect, the elephant owners will become tax payers and the basic facilities provided for the pachyderms, such as a habitable land, a water stream, supply of food and meeting its veterinary needs should meet the necessary standards, the minister pointed out.

He also said a scheme will be launched to market elephants in foreign countries and to send them to temples. Meanwhile several incidents of abductions of baby elephants were reported from wild life parks in the past few weeks. Environmentalist’s states that 50-60 elephants have been smuggled by wildlife parks in the past few weeks and necessary actions need to be taken immediately to protect elephant population in the country.