Sri Lanka will introduce new rules to protect elephants, writes AFP news agency. Owners will soon have to be able to show an identity card with the DNA of their elephant. From now on, mammals will also have to bathe for at least 2.5 hours every day.
Especially wealthy Sri Lankans keep elephants as pets. In addition, they are used as pack animals to, for example, carry felled trees. Animal welfare organizations regularly receive reports of abuse or neglect.
Prison sentence
The new measures are intended to tackle the suffering. Those who fail to comply can be jailed for up to three years. Also, their elephant is placed under direct government supervision.
Elephants working as pack animals should not be used for more than four hours a day. Working at night will also no longer be allowed, as will the removal of baby elephants from their mothers. The animals may only be used in films under the strict supervision of a veterinarian.
alcohol and drugs
The tourism industry also has to deal with the rules. A maximum of four people are allowed on the back of an elephant at a time. They must sit on a well-padded saddle. Drinking alcohol or using drugs and then taking a ride will no longer be allowed. Furthermore, an elephant is entitled to a medical check-up every six months.
According to official figures, there are about 200 tamed elephants in the South Asian country. The wild population is estimated at 7500. Catching wild elephants carries the death penalty, but rarely is anyone prosecuted.
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