Environmentalists point out folly of building another elephant holding ground

Environmentalists yesterday urged the government not to waste hundreds of millions of rupees on establishing another Elephant Holding Ground (EHG) at the Lunugamvehera National Park, as the EHG in Horowpathana had turned out to be a disaster.

Supun Lahiru Prakash of the Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle told The Island yesterday that a recent report by the Auditor General had exposed the EHG in Horowpathana.

Prakash said: “The AG’s report points out the elephant census conducted in June 2019, which showed that out of all the elephants retained in the holding ground, 12 elephants had died, and out of that which five had been starving. Another two elephants died due to unattended translocation to the holding ground. It was observed that the health condition of the elephants retained at the holding ground were poor and no follow-up action was taken.”

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