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Ridiyagama Park employees in bushmeat trade, alleges environmental group

15 Jul 2022

  • Claims elk, deer, forest animals being slaughtered for meat and sold
  • National Zoo Gardens Dept. to commence probe
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle (BCRC) has alleged that animals such as elk and deer at the Ridiyagama Safari Park in Hambantota, and the animals coming to the said park from the adjacent forest area, are being killed and sold for meat by a group of park workers. Speaking to The Morning, BCRC Convener Supun Lahiru Prakash claimed: “We have received information that animals kept in the said park, particularly the elk and deer, as well as animals coming to the park from the adjacent forest area, are being killed by a group of six park workers using various methods such as traps. We have also received information that they are earning money by selling the meat of such animals to various hotels and other people in the area.” He mentioned that visitors could see an elk that managed to avoid being trapped, roaming around the park with the trap on its antlers. For some reason, he said the trap has gotten stuck to the antlers of the elk, so it was not harmed. However, he said that if the trap had gotten attached in its neck, the elk could have died and then would have been sold by the said group of workers. “There is very limited opportunity for outsiders to come and set traps in a covered area like a park. Therefore, it is confirmed that there is a direct or indirect connection of the park workers to these animal killings. Park authorities have no authority to allow these kinds of activities, even if they are done by outsiders,” added Prakash. Noting that the National Zoological Gardens Department and the management of the said park have been informed about this in writing, he claimed that they have so far failed to take any action in this regard. Therefore, he said, the BCRC has requested the relevant authorities to pay attention to this matter and conduct an immediate investigation, and take necessary measures to prevent these inhumane and illegal animal killings and to bring those responsible before the law. When contacted by The Morning, National Zoological Gardens Department Director General Thilak Premakantha said that the department would commence an investigation into the allegations levelled by the BCRC, given the fact that the alleged incident is something that must be looked into.  


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