Sri Lanka’s oldest living animal anointed with oil for New Year at National Zoo
April 16, 2025 12:28 pm
The National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka in Dehiwala joined the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations today (16), by performing the traditional ritual of oil anointing on its animals—a gesture believed to bring good health and blessings for the year ahead.
Taking center stage in the ceremony was the zoo’s oldest resident, a 153-year-old giant tortoise, recognized as the oldest living animal in Sri Lanka. In a symbolic moment, oil was gently anointed on the ancient tortoise’s head.
The ritual began with the ‘Kadol’ elephant, continuing a customary tradition of blessing elephants during the New Year period. The head of a brown bear, recently received by the zoo from the United Arab Emirates, was also anointed with oil as part of the festivities.
The event was organized by the zoo’s management team under the guidance of Director General Chandana Rajapaksa and coordinated by Deputy Director Dinushika Manawadu.
