The Colombo Magistrate Court has yesterday (15)issued an order to the Director Of Wild Life Department to submit a report on the situation of Elephant Population in Sri Lanka to check whether the local Elephant Population is currently is on the increase or decrease.
The Colombo Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya has also ordered the Director Of Wild Life Department to submit a report on people who were killed by the Elephants in recent past.
The Magistrate has issued these orders during the proceeding of a court case regarding keeping an elephants illegally in possession.
According to the report submitted to the court by Wild Life Department so far the Department has taken into custody around 13 Elephants kept by some persons illegally in their possession without a valid licence.Out of these Elephants 9 have been handed over to the Udawalawe Elephant Orphanage and 4 handed over to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage.