The trackers and park officials who had travelled along with the group that had behaved in an unruly manner inside the Yala National Park recently have been interdicted with immediate effect.
According to Hiru News, the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation said the trackers and park officials have been interdicted for failing to control the situation.
Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Mahinda Amaraweera said today that the individuals and vehicles that behaved in an unruly manner at the Yala National Park will be blacklisted.
He further said that the group will be blacklisted and will be denied entry to the national park for a period of 03 years, and the relevant authorities have been advised to look into the legal provisions to implement the decision.
Meanwhile, the minister yesterday instructed the Director General of the Wildlife Department to initiate legal action against a group of individuals who had behaved in an unruly manner inside the Yala National Park.
In a message on Facebook, the minister said that the Wildlife Department has the necessary details pertaining to the individuals involved in the incident, including their National Identity Card numbers, addresses, and vehicle number plates.
Thereby, the Director General of the Wildlife Department Chandana Sooriyabandara has decided to initiate legal action against all those who were involved in the incident.
The Wildlife Department has revealed that the group had not entered the Yala National Park under any special circumstances and have been identified as normal tourists.
The group was singled out after video footage on social media showed a convoy of off-road vehicles and SUVs driving in a reckless manner inside the Yala National park, an action which is prohibited.
The video footage earned severe backlash on social media platforms, with many highlighting the serious dangers to the wild animals within the national park and its effects on the ecosystem. (NewsWire)