Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has stressed the need to establish a dedicated hospital to treat elephants and other wildlife in Sri Lanka with international support.
He said he was prepared to lead a programme to protect elephants with the participation of the country’s youth. He also called for a formal and transparent investigation into the death of the tusker Kawanthissa, involving local and international experts.
He emphasised that a post-mortem examination conducted with the participation of both local and foreign experts should be carried out promptly to establish the exact cause of the elephant’s death.
The Opposition Leader made these remarks yesterday (19) while visiting Siyambalangamuwa to pay his final respects to the deceased tusker.
Drawing on his experience as an environmentalist and wildlife photographer, Premadasa said Kawanthissa was no ordinary wild elephant, but one of the country’s magnificent tuskers, comparable to well-known elephants such as Mahasen, Agbo and Sando.
He added that he had personally named the elephant “Kawanthissa” after encountering it years ago in the upper reaches of the Siyambalangamuwa Tank.
