State Minister of Wildlife Protection Wimalaweera Dissanayaka has issued an extraordinary gazette notification to regularize the registration of Tamed Elephants and their protection and well-being.
According to the regulations, the Director-General of Wildlife is vested with power to register and issue a license in respect of a Tamed Elephant.
The provisions state that when a Tamed Elephant is used for tourism or such other activity, more than four persons should not be allowed on such an elephant as a measure of its well-being. When a Veterinary Surgeon or a Registered Traditional Doctor who treats elephants determines that an elephant is unfit to engage in any work, such elephant should not be used for any work, service or other duty.
It has recommended that a vehicle used for the transportation of an elephant shall have a strong coverage with a platform made adopting strong protective methods and a minimum of six wheels. The speed of such a vehicle should not exceed thirty (30 km) per hour.
The regulations also specify that any person who has the custody of an elephant should have a land in the extent of more than three acres in order to take care of such an elephant.
Any calf elephant of less than five years of age shall be allowed to be with the mother elephant,and such calf shall not engage in any work, andshall not be separated from the mother elephant, the regulations added.
It has further outlined that a person having the ownership of an elephant by a licence, sannasaor other legal document or by succession as at the date of commencement of these regulations should register such elephant under these regulations and such registration should be obtained within three months from the date of coming into operation of these regulations.
The regulations have been cited as the Fauna and Flora (Protection, Well-being and Regularization of Registration of Tamed Elephants) Regulations No. of 2021.
