COLOMBO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government agreed on Wednesday to hand over some elephants from an elephant orphanage in the Central Hills of Pinnawala to individuals and religious places under conditions.
The Government Information Department said the maintenance of the present number of 88 elephants in a restricted land area of 30 acres at Pinnawala had become a difficult task.
Accordingly, the proposal made by Minister of Sustainable Development and Wildlife Gamini Jayawickrama Perera to provide some elephants to individuals and religious places under definite conditions, was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Recommendations on issuing orders for providing elephants for Perahera, a rich Sri Lankan parade of dancers and elephants, regularizing registration of domesticated elephants and ensuring their protection were also approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the Government Information Department said.
The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage has become a major tourist attraction with thousands of tourists and locals each year.
Pinnawala is known to have the largest herd of captive elephants in the world.
