Sri Lanka, June 22 -- The elephant 'Sankharaja' belonging to the Embilipitiya Sankhapala Rajamaha Viharaya, which went berserk and trampled its mahout and assistant mahout to death at the Rakwana Sri Ubhayathilakarama Viharaya, was tranquilised and captured by wildlife officers this afternoon (22).

Wildlife officers and police safely captured the animal following a special joint operation to bring it under control after it fled and stayed in a paddy field near the temple, after the attack.

The elephant, brought for the 78th Poson procession of the Rakwana Sri Ubhayathilakarama Viharaya, suddenly went berserk and launched the attack when the mahout assistant was taking him to get water from the Rakwana river this morning (22).

Wildlife ...