Prelates deny media report

Asgiriya Prelate	Malwatta Prelate

The two Prelates of the Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters of the Buddhist clergy in a joint statement issued yesterday denied reports in certain newspapers that the two baby tusker elephants being taken from the elephant orphanage was a bio-theft and it could not be compared to such an act.

The Most Ven Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Maha Nayake Thera and the Most Ven Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Maha Nayake Thera in their joint statement had stated that these two baby elephants were publicly donated to the Malwatte and Asgiriya temples.

The Ven. Theras stated that it was not an act of bio-theft.

At present there were only about 120 elephants and it was found difficult to find elephants to conduct traditional religious festivals like the Kandy Esala Perahera due to the shortage of elephants. The Cabinet of Ministers considering the difficulty had decided to donate the two baby elephants to the two temples.

But environmentalists seem not to be concerned about the number of wild tusker elephants in our jungles that was going on unabated.

The newspaper reports also mentioned a damage caused to one of the teeth of a baby elephant in question and it had to be stated that the damage had been caused before it was donated to the temple and appropriate attention and treatment of a veterinarian had been given to it.

Therefore, we emphatically state that no theft had been committed by the Sri Dalada Maligawa in this instance.