An elephant calf who was being kept illegally was found when wildlife officials conducted a raid in the Arrawala area in Kottawa.
After receiving a tip-off about a wounded elephant calf, officials of the Raid Unit of the Wildlife Department inspected premises down 2nd Lane on Gamunu Road in Arrawala at about 2:30 p.m.
The Director General of the Wildlife Department stated that they inspected the premises to ascertain if there was a license for the baby elephant.
However, wildlife officials were unable to provide information to the media after inspecting the premises until 5.30 p.m.
The media personnel who arrived at the scene to cover the story while the inspections were taking place were attacked.
The baby elephant will be taken into the wildlife officials’ custody if they are unable to find a license. If so, this would be the second calf taken into custody within three weeks.
Article at the following link:
http://newsfirst.lk/english/2014/03/wildlife-officials-rescue-elephant-calf-kept-illegally/25177