Dinuda report out in two weeks

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

The special committee appointed to probe the recent issue relating to Dinuda, the elephant calf will release its report in two weeks. The elephant calf born on Victory day on May 19, 2009, had been selected to be sent to a South Korean zoo under an animal exchange program between the two countries.

The exchange was stopped by President Mahinda Rajapaksa considering the sensitivity of the issue.

"We are not experts in this field and it is best to let the committee of experts independently investigate as to what has gone wrong," said Botanical Gardens and Public Recreations Minister Jayaratne Herath.

"We need the animal exchange program as we will be opening several more zoological gardens and safari parks in the near future. This is the most successful option for a country such as Sri Lanka, to have new species," Minister Herath said. Sri Lanka has received two lion cubs and two Bengal tigers from Korea under the exchange program. "It is only after the investigations that we could decide what steps could be taken as a partner in the exchange program," he said.