The individuals and vehicles that were involved in behaving in an unruly manner inside the Yala National Park recently have been prohibited from entering any national parks in Sri Lanka, Minister of Agriculture, Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, Mahinda Amaraweera said today (25).
In a message on Facebook, he said that the group has been prohibited from entering any national park in Sri Lanka for a period of 03 years.
The minister further said that the relevant authorities have been advised to look into the legal provisions to blacklist such individuals to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has also advised the Inspector General of Police to arrest the individuals who had acted in a manner causing hindrance to the wildlife and its ecosystem.
Meanwhile, the 07 safari tour guides who had accompanied the group have been temporarily suspended from service pending investigation.
Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said the Director General of the Wildlife Department was advised to suspend the safari tour guides for failing to prohibit and control such behaviour.
In a message on Facebook yesterday (24), the minister said the Director General of the Wildlife Department has been instructed to initiate legal action against the group that had behaved in an unruly manner inside the Yala National Park.
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.
According to the Wildlife Department, the group had not entered the Yala National Park under any special circumstances and had been identified as normal tourists.
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the 4×4 community, Sam Chandrasoma (Leader of Team Iron-man 4×4) said that the action of the group is condemned by the 4×4 community in Sri Lanka.
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)