The Department of Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka has initiated an investigation into a video showing a foreigner and four indigenous people allegedly trespassing into the Maduru Oya National Park and killing a peacock, a protected species. The incident came to light after the video was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘Go With Ali,’ where the group was seen hunting the bird and cooking it.
Chandana Suriyabandara, Director General of Wildlife Conservation, confirmed that efforts are underway to identify the four indigenous individuals involved and determine the exact location of the incident. The video has raised concerns about illegal entry into the park, the use of bows and arrows to hunt a protected bird, and setting fires in a national park.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred at Maduru Oya. Previously, a similar video featuring another foreigner and members of the Dambana indigenous community surfaced, depicting the killing and consumption of a peacock. That case is currently being addressed in the Mahiyangana Magistrate’s Court.
Authorities are taking these allegations seriously, as killing peacocks and other protected species within a national park constitutes a violation of Sri Lankan wildlife laws.
