Elephants get second chance

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Some of Sri Lanka’s wildest, most destructive elephants could get reprieves from possible death sentences – but they will have to spend some time in rehab first.

Elephants that rampage through villages, destroy crops or kill people will be caught, tamed and put to work promoting tourism and helping prevent poaching, a government official said Thursday.

Wildlife conservation chief Dayananda Kariyawasam said his department had already identified 20-30 of the worst elephant offenders for the program, designed to keep angry villagers from killing them.