Sri Lanka : The 68 year old Elephant which is believed to be the most sacred animal of Sri Lanka expired on Monday. To commemorate the death of this elephant, and seeing the outpour of grief, the president of Sri Lanka has ordered for the huge cadaver to be stuffed and preserved for posterity.
The Nadugamuwa Raja, among the hundred elephants used in an annual pageant involving fire-eaters and drummers, was tasked with carrying a golden casket of Buddhist relics on its back.
School children, priests in saffron robes and an elderly lady with a Zimmer frame participated in the procession of mourners on Monday and paid their respects to this sacred elephant. Raja, praying and touching its mighty tusks in reverence.
The president of Sri Lanka Gotabaya Rajapaksa decreed that the animal be declared a “national treasure” and ordered its remains be preserved ‘for future generations to witness,’ his office said.
According to the sources, Raja was born in India but it was gifted to Sri Lanka by an Indian prince. The Elephants are a protected species in Sri Lanka but many are kept as pets because they are seen as status symbols. Laws have been tightened in recent years to ban the capture of wild elephants, making it punishable with death.
