Man fined Rs. 310,000 for setting trap gun intended to harm wild elephants

Daily Mirror and Newswire report that the Kahatagasdigiliya Magistrate’s Court imposed a Rs. 310,000 fine on a man over allegedly setting up a trap gun intended to harm a wild elephant. Both outlets attribute the information to the Department of Wildlife Conservation; Newswire also reports that the man possessed the firearm without a licence.

Newswire reports that wildlife officers found the gun during a patrol on October 24 along the boundary of the Kokebe Forest Reserve, in the Kahatagasdigiliya Divisional Secretariat Division. The department said the device had been set up at the edge of private land. Newswire identifies the patrol leader as a wildlife site assistant from the Kahatagasdigiliya Wildlife Beat Office.

It says charges were filed on October 30 and the court then imposed the fine.

Newswire reports that the Department of Wildlife Conservation said patrols in the Kahatagasdigiliya wildlife beat area would continue to detect and prevent wildlife-related offences.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.