Bellanwila Nayake Thera denies animal rights activists’ claim temple elephant ill-treated

By Ifham Nizam

Chief Incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya Ven. Bellanwila Dhammarathana Thera yesterday said some animal lovers had dragged in Rohitha Rajapaksa to carry out a vicious campaign against one of the most popular temples in Sri Lanka.

The Nayake Thera told the media yesterday at his temple in Bellanwila: “We have not received anything from the Rajapaksa family. Nor will we seek anything from them. I, however, admire the yeoman service rendered by the two Rajapaksas––Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa––to liberate the nation from the clutches of terrorists and ending the war.”

He said that the conduct of Wildlife Director General Ishni Wickremesinghe to film elephants, without the consent of the temple authorities, was shameless. “Our investigations have revealed she used two zoo workers and a zoo vehicle to video the temple premises, where the elephant Mayan Prince, gifted by Myanmar is kept.”

The head priest also expressed concern about the Facebook campaign. ‘Please rescue Mayan Prince from Bellanwila Temple’.

“I think with my little understanding of the English language … rescue is not the proper word. If former President Mahinda Rajapaksa rescued Sri Lanka from terrorism or Gotabaya Rajapaksa with the help of Army, Navy, Air Force and Police rescued from cruel terrorists or Prabhakaran, the wording is correct.”

He also thanked Professor G.L. Peiris, who had, in his capacity as the Foreign Minister, written to the government of Myanmar for sending Mayan Prince and then Defence Secretary Rajapaksa for having the elephant brought here. Veterinary Surgeon Jagath Jayasekera said that the elephant was healthy and was in musth for the first time.

An animal rights activists circulated pictures of the animal lying helplessly on its side in a murky pool as his keeper beat him with sharp sticks.