Three kilos of venison and wild boar meat have been seized while a group of visitors were preparing them at the Old Pier Bungalow (Yala Bungalow) reserved for VIPs in the Yala National Park.

This bungalow can only be reserved for the VIPs through the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, and questions have been raised as to how this group has reserved the bungalow.The bungalow had been given to this group of people who arrived from Beliatta for two days on June 06 and 07. They have brought one and a half kilos of venison and one and a half kilos of wild boar meat to the bungalow and instructed the watchman to cook the meat for them.

However, when the watchman objected, the visitors had said that they would complain to Wildlife and Forest Conservation Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi if he did not cook the meat.The watchman has insisted that he would not cook venison.Later on, the wildlife officials raided the bungalow when one visitor was preparing venison.

One man was arrested by the wildlife officials for possessing venison and he was fined Rs.60,000 after being produced in the Tissamaharama Magistrate’s Court.

The Yala Wildlife Officials are conducting investigations into the incident since the supply, possession and transportation of venison within National Parks is strictly prohibited.