Now residents of Sri Lanka are not allowed to ride elephants drunk – the country has adopted a new law to protect animals from cruelty. The elephants will also have their own biometric passport with photo, mandatory bathing breaks every day and a medical examination every six months. France 24 reports this.
The inhabitants of Sri Lanka have about 200 domestic elephants, and the population of these animals in the wild numbers 7.5 thousand individuals. To protect elephants, the country has adopted a number of new rules:
- elephant calves should not be separated from their mothers and used for work, including performing at cultural events;
- No more than four tourists can ride one elephant at a time. In this case, the saddle should be soft;
- an elephant can work a maximum of four hours a day, and night work is completely prohibited;
- Elephants are prohibited from being featured in films (except for government-sponsored filming, which takes place under the supervision of a veterinarian);
Violators of the rules will face up to three years in prison – the elephant will be taken away from the convicted person and transferred to the custody of the state.