This was announced by Sanuja Kasthuriarachchi, Director General of the Department of National Museums, during a special media briefing held yesterday (March 9) at the Department of Government Information.
Speaking at the briefing, the Director General stated that reconstructing the famous tusker was a challenging task. However, the team accepted the responsibility and has now nearly completed the reconstruction work.
Deputy Director (Zoology) Lankani Somarathna noted that approximately Rs. 25 million was spent on the project. The reconstructed elephant will be displayed inside a specially designed glass enclosure for public viewing.
She further explained that removing the skin and carrying out preservation procedures took about 10 days. The reconstruction was then carried out carefully according to the elephant’s exact measurements to ensure scientific accuracy.
According to Somarathna, animals preserved through such scientific methods can remain safely conserved for up to 500 years.
