The Department of Wildlife Conservation has arrested two hotel managers in Kegalle district for displaying deer mounts at their establishments, Newswire reported.
Officers from the Bulathkohupitiya Wildlife Office raided a hotel on April 25 after receiving information that deer skulls with antlers were on display, taking the manager into custody along with two mounts. A second raid at a hotel in Alapalawala, Debathgama, recovered another mount and led to a second arrest.
The suspects will be produced before the Kegalle Magistrate’s Court and the Mawanella Magistrate’s Court, respectively, on May 5.
Possession, transport, display or sale of parts of protected animals is a punishable offence under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, the department said.
The arrests are part of an intensified DWC enforcement push that also produced seizures of deer antlers and conchs from a Galewela hotel on April 28. Sambar, spotted deer and barking deer are all listed as protected species in Sri Lanka.
