Director-General Zoological Gardens Ishini Wickremesinghe resigns

The Director-General of the Zoological Gardens, Ishini Wickremesinghe, has tendered her resignation from her services. Certain media outlets attributed the reason as “Personal”. However, sources close to her said the resignation came in the wake of a decision taken by the government to hand over the elephants to the original owners, taken possession of the elephants by illegal means. The domesticated elephants were, however, taken into the custody of the Zoological Gardens. The Attorney General, citing a gazette notification published,  requested a Colombo Magistrate to release the elephants to the original owners. The Zoological Gardens took possession of the elephants for alleged illegal practices and the fraudulent way the original owners acquired them. The AG has also requested the Magistrate to allow these elephant owners to register the elephants. Environmentalists had cried foul over the policy decision taken by the government and the subsequent move by the Attorney General.