Nuwara Eliya Police have arrested a 26-year-old man over the alleged beating of a pony used to give rides to tourists near Gregory Lake, after video of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Police opened a special investigation once the footage — which Ada Derana reported showed an individual inhumanely assaulting the animal — began spreading online. The suspect is a resident of Nuwara Eliya and is due to be produced before the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate’s Court on Friday, August 28.
Hiru News named him as Ramamoorthy Vishnu, of the Strabath area in Nuwara Eliya, and said the arrest followed widespread public outrage at the video. Ada Derana did not identify the suspect.
Operators want rules, not blame
The sharpest reaction came from the licensed pony riders who work the lakeside. They condemned the assault and said it was unfair for the conduct of one individual to damage the standing of everyone in the trade, which they stressed they carry out legally.
Rather than simply distancing themselves, they used the moment to press a demand: that authorities introduce clear, enforceable standards for licensed pony operations covering the animals’ health, feeding, rest periods and working conditions. No such standards were reported to exist at present.
Tourists at the lake made a parallel call for action. Pony rides are a long-standing draw at Gregory Lake for both local and foreign visitors, and they warned that incidents of animal cruelty risk damaging Sri Lanka’s image as a destination.
A second problem at the same lake
The arrest is the second Gregory Lake story in as many days. The Central Environmental Authority reported this week that water quality at the lake poses a serious health risk. The site has also drawn safety scrutiny before, following a jet ski collision in August that required a Navy rescue.
Neither report specified what offences the suspect will face, or whether the Department of Wildlife Conservation or any animal welfare body has been brought into the case.
