Sri Lanka uproots 'last legume' tree to build highway

Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana told reporters in Colombo that the cabinet had approved the removal of the tree.

The Sri Lanka Legume (Crudia zeylanica) -- a flowering tree whose pods are not known to be eaten by humans -- was first classified in 1868 and last found in 1911.

In 2012, it was declared extinct until the surprise discovery in 2019 of a lone tree near Colombo.

But the eight-metre (26-foot) tree was set to be felled in February 2021 to allow the construction of a motorway, sparking uproar from environmentalists and the country's influential Buddhist clergy, who had blessed the plant to give it sacred protection.

Gunawardana said a study showed that 40 other trees of the same family still existed, but he did not provide details on where they were located.

"It is a crime to have held up the construction by propagating a myth that this was the only tree of its kind," Gunawardana said.

He said bypassing the tree would have added another 15 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($50 million) to the cost of the road construction.

Local residents said workers had uprooted the tree using heavy equipment and had taken it to an undisclosed location.

"There were a few workers... they uprooted the tree after chopping off some of the branches," one resident told the Swarnavahini TV network.

"Before we could react, the tree was removed."