Sri Lanka’s tallest tusker gets armed escort Nadungamuwa Raja, 65 years old, is a celebrated elephant towering around 3.2m in height, the tallest tamed tusker in Sri Lanka. And he has his own armed guards.
Raja’s owner said the government has allocated troops to provide security for his pet as it ambles along main roads to attend temple festivals across the island.
Raja is an unofficial national treasure because he is one of the few tuskers chosen to carry a casket of Buddha relics in an annual pageant at the most sacred Buddhist shrine on the island, the Temple of the Tooth.
However animal rights campaigners say captive elephants are often maltreated. On Tuesday an emaciated 70-year-old elephant called Tikiri died, weeks after attending the Esala festival. Read More
