The Court of Appeal today issued an order directing the registrar of the Colombo High Court to produce the elephant record book, which is currently placed under court custody as a production item.
The Elephant Record Book had become a controversial topic after it was misplaced in 2015.
The Court of Appeal issued its order in response to four writ petitions filed by the Centre for Eco-Cultural Studies, Justice for Animals Sri Lanka, and the Centre for Environmental Justice challenging the government’s new regulations on elephant registration.
Court of Appeal Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola ordered the High Court registrar to produce the elephant record book within 10 days for the perusal of the court.
The Court of Appeal had earlier issued an interim order restraining the Director General of Wildlife Conservation Department Grant from registering all elephants in terms of the new regulations, which are being challenged in court.
In this case, the petitioners claimed that returning elephants to the perpetrators is contrary to the interests of elephant conservation and protection.
The petitioners go on to say that ensuring an elephant’s proper care and well-being can only be done effectively by people who are intimately familiar with elephants and their behaviour.
