Wildlife Dept. refutes claims of dogs used as bait for leopards

Following a complaint to the Minister of Wildlife urging immediate action to stop the unethical use of dogs as bait to lure leopards for tourism in national parks, the Wildlife Department claimed that no such incident was revealed following investigations conducted using CCTV footage.
In a statement, Wildlife Director General M.G.C. Sooriyabandara said that no such incident was reported after separate statements from certain individuals and analysis of CCTV footage.
Upon investigating the entrance tickets for the relevant date and information collected by Wildlife officers, it was revealed that no dog or other household animal had been taken to Wilpattu National Park via any tourist vehicle or any other type of vehicle.
The Wildlife Department confirmed that while a video circulating on social media showed a conflict between a dog and a leopard in the jungle, the dog had not been brought into the national park by any person.
Furthermore, the Wildlife Department assured that no permission had been granted to bring any household animals into national parks, and it is the responsibility of the ticket counter staff to monitor such incidents.
Meanwhile, the department emphasised that violating the conditions and regulations stated on entrance tickets is illegal and liable to result in action under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.
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