Elephant shot dead by police-By Kanchana Kumara

Bakamuna, August 16 (Daily Mirror) – A tense situation was prevailed at Dampura, Damanayaya in Bakamuna on last night (15) when the police shot dead a wild elephant which was blind in one eye, frequenting the area and loved by the people since it had not hurt anyone.

Wildlife officers said the jumbo had been shot dead with a T-56 rifle.

Residents of the area said the wild elephant frequenting the road had been shot at by a police patrol in a trishaw. They said the wild elephant, without one eye, had been a pet of the people and that it had not hurt anyone. They said the jumbo often roamed into the home gardens to be fed by the people and moved away when called by its pet name Raja.

They said they were shocked to find it shot dead and the carcass dragged by a backhoe to a location about 50 metres away.

The incident had created a tense atmosphere between the police and the residents of the area.

However, the OIC of the Bakamuna police said the wild elephant frequenting the road had attempted to attack the trishaw transporting the three officer on night patrol duty and that a shot fired by a PC to scare away the elephant had caused its death.

Meanwhile, Habarana Division ASP Sudath Asmadala said a formal investigation of the incident was being held.