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‘Bhanu’ back in chains after roaming free for years
Text and pictures by PRIYAN DE SILVA
Tusker, ‘Bhanu’, which had been roaming free at the Ridiyagama Safari Park in Hambanthota since September 2019 was returned to the Ruhunu Kataragama Devalaya on Tuesday (14) in keeping with a court order.
Officials of the Department of Wildlife took ‘Bhanu’ into their custody in October 2016 as the custodians of the Ruhunu Kataragama Devalaya were unable to produce necessary
‘Bhanu’ chained before being taken away from the Ridiyagama Safari Park
documents. The tusker was handed over to the Department of National Zoological Gardens and was kept at the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage until it was transferred to the Ridiyagama Safari Park.
‘Bhanu’ was gifted to the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya by Shashindra Rajapaksa, a former Basnayake Nilame of the shrine sacred to both Buddhists and Hindus.
