The Galgamuwa Magistrate’s Court has ordered a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death of tusker Kavantissa and directed that its carcass be buried securely on land belonging to the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Galgamuwa Acting Magistrate Kanchana Hathurusinghe issued the orders today (17), directing veterinary officers to conduct the examination and submit a report to court.The Acting Magistrate further ordered that the carcass be buried in a manner that would allow the tusks to be recovered in the future, with adequate security provided at the burial site.The court also directed that a formal investigation be conducted into the elephant’s death and that its progress be reported.The orders were issued after considering facts presented by a team of wildlife officers, including Meegalewa Wildlife Office Range Forest Officer W. Weerakoon.The case is scheduled to be recalled before Galgamuwa Chief Magistrate Ravindra Ranjan Bandara on a later date.