Please help these illegally captured wild-born elephant calves from criminals and corrupt officials.  This picture shows one of the abused calves with the captor's mahout. This is urgent as Case CID-DWC is being heard at the Colombo Magistrate Court No 1 on May 20, 2016 with additional court proceedings during the summer.  Here is a local newspaper article that describes the corruption between officials and corrupt monks as the elephants are used in Buddhist ceremonies: http://www.lankaenews.com/news/1344/en

In Colombo Sri Lanka, illegally captured wild-born elephant calves were rescued by the local wildlife department. It is known that elephant calves are tied, starved and beaten into submission with clubs and nails, and continually tortured by their captors.   A local magistrate named Thilina Gamage, had one of these calves at his residence.  The criminals have petitioned to get the calves back. They want to make money from them by using them in Vesak pageants.  They believe that they have lost money since the calves have been in the care of the wildlife department.  

A government official sympathetic to the illegal captors says that the government will save money by releasing the calves to their illegal captors.  Note that the government could care for the elephants by enforcing their laws against these wildlife crimes and holding those guilty accountable. For example, collecting fines from the criminals for the ongoing care by the wildlife officials.

This petition is to support the Attorney General in filing objections to the court order to release the rescued illegally captured wild-born elephant calves back to their captors.  This petition is to ask the Attorney General in Colombo to enforce wildlife laws by keeping the elephant calves with the wildlife department away from their captors and abusers.

Please send a message to the Attorney General and the Court that the world is watching to see if Sri Lanka will hold these criminals accountable Here is the facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/elephants.srilanka.33?fref=ts