A write petition has been filed by several civil organizations and individuals including Dharmavijaya Foundation, Bodhiraja Foundation and Omalpe Sobitha Thera seeking an order against the export of a five year old baby elephant, Nandi, to New Zealand.

Sri Lanka agreed to gift the elephant in February when New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visited the island. The elephant was to be gifted to the Aukland Zoo in New Zealand.

The petitioners argue that exporting Sri Lanka’s elephants to be displayed in zoos abroad for commercial purposes is ill conceived.

They added that the elephant's welfare will be obstructed by a move to send it abroad.

When the petition was taken up for hearing yesterday by the Court of Appeal, the Attorney General gave an undertaking that the elephant will not be exported till the next hearing date.

The case was fixed for August 2.