President appoints expert committee to investigate death of ‘Kawanthissa’

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a special expert committee to investigate all aspects of the death of Tusker Kawanthissa, which occurred in the Siyambalangamuwa area of Galgamuwa on or around October 16.

The committee has also been tasked with developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the welfare of wild elephants and making recommendations for a national programme to protect elephants, the President’s Media Division said in a statement.

The committee is chaired by former Ministry Secretary A.H. Sarath Wijesinghe. Professor T. Saminda Fernando, Professor A.G. Anil Pushpakumara, Professor U.K. Kalinga Padmalal, Dr. Jagath Gunawardena and Attorney-at-Law Charaka Jayaratne have been named as members of the committee.

Presidential Additional Secretary W.W. Harrison will serve as the committee’s coordinator.

The committee will investigate the circumstances surrounding Kawanthissa’s death, including its immediate and underlying causes and determine whether any lapses or negligence occurred during the treatment provided to the tusker.

Additionally, it will formulate standard operating procedures for wild elephant welfare and submit recommendations for a national elephant conservation programme.

The committee has also been authorised to seek assistance from both local and international experts in carrying out its work.

The final investigation report on Kawanthissa’s death, the proposed framework for standard operating procedures on wild elephant welfare, and a set of recommendations for the national elephant protection programme are to be submitted to the President as part of a comprehensive report within 30 days.