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Arrest warrants issued for 6 involved in peacock killing YouTube video
The Mahiyangana Magistrate has ordered the arrest of six individuals who illegally entered Maduru Oya National Park and posted footage of killing and eating a peacock on YouTube to promote a channel.
The suspects face five charges, including aiding and abetting wildlife crime. Mahiyangana Magistrate T. Mr. Jinadasa issued the order after reviewing a B report detailing the crimes.
The video, shot in 2019 or 2020, shows individuals hunting a peacock with bows and arrows, setting it on fire, and eating the bird within the park. The footage was intended to highlight the “wild lifestyle of the indigenous people.”
The case was initiated by Kumarasiri Vijayakone, Wildlife Warden of the Henanigala Park Entrance Office of Maduru Oya National Park.
