Elephant calf poisoned in act of revenge

Two persons, including the mahout (athgowwa), who fed watermelon mixed with a poisonous chemical  to the 18-year-old elephant calf named Asela of Kataragama Sri Abhinavarama Temple, were arrested by the Police and brought before the Tissamaharama Court and remanded until September 23.

The suspects have been identified as Ranil Chandrasena and Chamara Muthunayaka.

On August 19, when the elephant was on the Kataragama Kiri Vehera road, the previous mahout had mixed a poisonous chemical with watermelon and had given it to the elephant to eat. The elephant immediately threw the watermelon on the ground, because it had been mixed with poison.

Ruhunu Magampattu Chief Judicial Sanghanayaka Kataragama Sri Abhinavarama Viharadhipathi Shastrapati Ven. Kapugama Sarana Tissa Thera who commented on this said that the mahout named Ranil, who was looking after this elephant, had injured the elephant’s leg with the henduwa after getting drunk, a few weeks ago. He said because of this, they took steps to remove the mahout and to avenge his anger he had poisoned the elephant.

“The elephant’s life was saved because the elephant was smart. We immediately called the vet and treated the elephant. The elephant is now healthy. The Thera said that the Basnayaka Nilames of the Kataragama and Kandy Devalas, Dishan Gunasekara and Pradip Nilanga Dela Bandara contributed to the treatment of the elephant,” the Ven. Thera said.

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