The Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife has suspended the park officials and 07 safari tour guides who accompanied a group of individuals involved in reckless driving inside the Yala National Park over the failure to control the situation.

On the directives of the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Mahinda Amaraweera, the park officers and the safari tour guides in question were suspended until the conclusion of the investigations into the incident.

On Monday (Oct. 24), the Department of Wildlife vowed legal action against the group of individuals who operated a fleet of SUVs, harming wild animals inside the Yala National Park.

The incident came to light after a video showing a fleet of vehicles entering the national park and misbehaving went viral on social media.

Subsequently, Minister Amaraweera instructed the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation Chandana Sooriyabandara to take immediate legal actions regarding those involved in the incident.

The Wildlife Department said it is in possession of information about the persons who acted in such a manner, including their National Identity Card (NIC) numbers, addresses and vehicle numbers as well as all evidence that prove their improper behaviour.

Accordingly, Minister Amaraweera has given directives to the ministerial secretary to inform the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in writing to arrest the group of individuals who were involved in reckless driving at the Yala National Park regardless of their ranks and status.