Sri Lanka, Aug. 29 -- The Court of Appeal today directed that direct notices be served on the Minister of Environment, the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and other state authorities in connection with a writ petition filed seeking an order directing the authorities to detect and remove illegal electric fences to ensure the protection and conservation of elephants.

K. Priyadarshani, President of the Association for the Protection of Elephants and Tuskers, filed this petition, naming as respondents the Director General of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, M.G.C. Sooriyabandara, Minister of Environment Dammika Patabendi, the Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board and several others.

When the petition w...