Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council Mayor Upali Wanigasekera said that steps have been taken to capture and park stray ponies that are obstructing local and foreign tourists and vehicles entering the city.
The Mayor said that there are owners of ponies around the Nuwara Eliyathurai racecourse and in places frequented by local and foreign tourists, and that although the owners only earn income by taking tourists on the backs of those ponies, they do not take care of the animals.
The Mayor further stated that some ponies are sick and the owners are not taking any steps to cure them, and some ponies roaming freely have even bitten tourists.
Although the owners of those animals were advised to take the animals and keep them in a pen, the Mayor said that since the owners did not respond satisfactorily, the Municipal Council employees have been instructed to catch the stray ponies and keep them in a council land to take care of the animals.
He said that if the owners take back the parked ponies, they must pay a fine to the Municipal Council, redeem the animals, take them away and take care of the animals subject to the conditions given by the Municipal Council. The Mayor of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council further stated that the Municipal Council has taken a decision to auction the animals if they do not take them in.
– Ranjith Rajapaksa