Two men arrested for allegedly torturing a sea eagle, after pictures on social media showed the endangered bird being skinned alive and its legs cut off, have been remanded till March 24 by the Galle Magistrate’s Court.
Habaraduwa Police made the arrests yesterday near the Babagala Bridge after a public outcry over the photos, which were published on Facebook and in local newspapers.
The two suspects are 40-year-old men from Nugaduwa and Gedarawatta areas.
Police were able to track down and arrest two suspects and are looking for another three who were in the photos.
Photos showed a group of men watching the bird being skinned by at least one man with a knife, while another filmed the incident on a mobile phone.
The suspects were being charged under the flora and fauna act and could be sentenced to five years in prison if convicted.
Eagles are regarded as a “highly protected” species under the country’s strict conservation laws.
