Dhammaloka Thera was recently arrested over the alleged possession of the elephant and was later released on bail.

The Department of Wildlife Conservation discovered the elephant cub at the Alan Mathiniyaramaya in January 2015. The two-and-a-half-year-old elephant calf was taken into custody by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The baby elephant was not registered under the name of Chief Incumbent Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera or the temple.