Refuting claims by the wildlife minister and his officials that the country has 270 tamed elephants, Basnayake Nilame of Kataragama Devale in Kandy Gemunu Walisundara challenges them to provide five elephants for one of the four devales for the Esala pageant.
He said, at a media briefing at Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy yesterday (28), the Maligawa had 12 tuskers, but the Kataragama Devale had only one elephant, who is on the heat now.
He said he was prepared to pay the expenses if the minister found five elephants for him.
However, minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera refuses to accept the challenge.
Further he said, he will respond upon receipt of a report into the number of elephants available for the Dalada Perahera by the association of tamed elephant owners, of which Walisundara too, is a member.
Courtesy – Srilanka Mirror
