A young woman who sparked widespread controversy on social media after performing a dance with a python during a recent New Year beauty pageant, along with a man who rented the protected reptile to her for money, have been fined by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The Department of Wildlife Conservation's Colombo District Range Forest Office in Bellanwila initiated an investigation after videos of the incident circulated widely online. Following the probe, wildlife officers arrested both the young woman and the suspect who supplied the python, subsequently presenting them before the court. When the case was called on July 22, both suspects pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them.
The Chief Magistrate ordered the young woman to pay a fine of Rs. 50,000 for having a protected animal under her possession and control to perform a dance. Meanwhile, the male suspect was fined Rs. 100,000 for illegally possessing a protected wild animal and offering it for sale or hire, in violation of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
Wildlife authorities reiterated that under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, it is strictly prohibited to possess, transport, exhibit, or sell any protected wild animal, and that legal action will be taken against anyone engaging in such illegal activities. The enforcement action and court proceedings were led by Range Forest Officer M.D.P. Sanjeewa, Officer-in-Charge of the Colombo District Range Forest Office.
