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Sri Lanka reports rare birth of elephant twins
Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage recorded a rare twin birth Tuesday as a 25-year-old named Surangi delivered two healthy male calves.
They are the first elephant twins born in captivity in Sri Lanka since 1941, according to elephant expert Jayantha Jayewardene.
“Both the calves and the mother are doing fine,” Renuka Bandaranaike, head of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, told AFP.
“The babies are relatively small, but they are healthy.”
She said Surangi gave birth to a male calf in 2009 and this was her second pregnancy. The father, 17-year-old Pandu, is also one of 81 residents at the orphanage, which was set up in 1975 to care for destitute wild elephants.
The facility, a key tourist attraction, has been closed to visitors because of coronavirus restrictions.
Last year, wildlife officials said the first known twins born in the wild in Sri Lanka had been spotted at the Minneriya sanctuary in the east of the island.
The government has unveiled tough regulations to protect the animals who are considered sacred in the majority Buddhist nation.
Many rich Sri Lankans — including Buddhist monks — keep elephants as pets to show off their wealth, but reports of ill treatment are widespread.
Those who violate the new law will have their elephant taken into state care and could face a three-year prison sentence.
Official records show there are about 200 domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka and an estimated 7,500 in the wild.
Capturing wild elephants is a criminal offence punishable by death, but prosecutions are rare.
Activists say that more than 40 baby elephants have been stolen from wildlife parks in the past 15 years. (Amal Jayasinghe AFP)
Lakbima Rice Mills (Pvt) Ltd, based in Polonnaruwa, has contributed Rs. 100 million to the Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwa.
The donation cheque was handed over this morning (13) at the Presidential Secretariat to Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, by Dudley Sirisena, Chairman of the Araliya Group of Companies.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued to the Districts of Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara
Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
at 12.30 p.m. 13 December 2025 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 13 December 2025 for Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Kaluthara, Rathnapura, Galle and Matara Districts.
There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.
General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
Based on the prevailing disaster situation and the upcoming festive season, arrangements have been made to provide a nutrition allowance worth Rs. 5,000 to pregnant mothers.
This allowance, which will be provided only once, will be given to pregnant mothers who were registered at maternal clinics on or before 30 November 2025.
The distribution will take place through the Divisional Secretariat offices from 16 December, as a program of the National Secretariat for Early Childhood Development, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
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