News
 		 

Tusker continues rampage
By L.B. Senaratne
Dalada Maligawa mahouts are still recovering from the shock over the killing of a fellow mahout by tusker Indiraja. Indiraja was gifted to Sri Lanka by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1987. The animal, which was then five years old, was donated to the Sri Dalada Maligawa, when there was a shortage of elephants for the perahera.

Indiraja was known to be docile though playful in his younger days. The tragedy occurred last Sunday at Vilbawa in the Kurunegala district on the banks of a tank where the elephants had been relaxing before the Day Perahera of Vilbawe Paththini Devale. All of a sudden, the tusker set upon his mahout, Vijaya. The mahout was rushed to the Kurunegala Hospital in a critical condition and transferred to the Kandy Hospital where he died two days after the attack without regaining consciousness.

But the tragedy did not end there. After the attack, Indiraja was kept in chains with another Maligawa tusker Sinharaja. Maligawa sources said Indiraja in a rage broke the chains and charged at Singharaja. Indiraja's tusks pierced the mouth of Sinharaja, which was once the Sinha Regiment mascot. The wounded tusker is being treated while Indiraja has been sedated.
Top  Back to News  

Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved.