Sri Lanka has introduced new animal protection laws that require domestic elephants to have their own biometric identity cards and ban riders from drinking on the job.
- There are about 200 domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka
- The new laws also protect elephants used in the logging and tourism industries
- Those who break the new laws could face up to three years in prison
The new measures, aimed to protect the animals' welfare, include strict regulations around working elephants and mandate a daily two-and-a-half-hour bath for each creature.
Many Sri Lankans keep elephants as pets as a symbol of wealth.
But recently, there has been an increased number of complaints about ill treatment and cruelty of the endangered species.