Guest guest Posted October 29, 2001 Report Share Posted October 29, 2001 Dear Friends in Animala , Please read this letter.Sri lankan authorities respect foreigners and their ideas.You have the power to change the way of life of Suffering captive elephants in Sri Lanka. Please write a letter to whom it may concern or Attorney General .As this is election time and these letters have to be copied and sent to various persons.You can send it by e.mail to me as now they are scared to open letters because of Antrax Adress Attorney General Attorney General Department Colombo 12 Sri Lanka Thank you Kala It is a shame Authorities of Dalada Maligawa is working against the Lord Buddha`s teachings and keep the elephants chained.The temple elephants also shold be allowed to enjoy freedom.Even in Pinnawela Matali the gentle leader of the herd killed a keeper .The elephants had developed the habit of crushing the pup.It was the fault of the authorities.There was a pack of dogs running inside the orphanage .She must have thought it was a dog and killed the mahout who was sitting close by.She must have done that to protect her baby. She was punished and was limping.When I was working there we never allowed elephant rides now they do that and they bring elephant from another orphanage in Eath Athru Sevena to show the tourists how they feed the babies. This is wrong . Pinnawela also should change the system of allowing visitors to come closer to elephants .That should expand it`s acerage.They should be allowed to move freely. ..There are many zoological parks which allow the elephants to be free.Now they plan to auction these elephants in Pinnawela.Corrupted politicians purposely don`t allow to do any changes .Our country and animals are perishing. Sri lanka was under the British rule from1815 to 1948.That was the era when most damage was done to our wild life and fauna.Bounties were paid to kill elephants.Various Englishmen killed elephants for pleasure.That made the elephants furiousand they started to attack the humans.Hunters with guns employed Krralthe cruel method of trapping wild elephants.The brave elephant ~Panamure `wanted to be free from trap and didn`t give up his fight for freedom.It was determined to go back to wild with it`s herd rather than being a slave to greedy elephant owneer.Ultimately he was killed by gun shots. ~Kraal`trapping system was abolished in Sri lanka with his death. Even now elephants suffer as tourist elephants and working elephants .It is very heavy when they travel on these tourists.They have to stand on sunlight without food or bath Heavy metal howdah with pricking ends is fastened to it`s back. Their soles are cracked and woundedThese elephants never get enough food or best of all rest where they can extend their aching legs.The terrorists are much better than elephant owners.Elephant owners kill them slowly and make money These rides should be banned or at least these elephants should not be allowed work inthe hot sunlight . They should stop the rides and start an elephant village . ..I worked as a veterinary surgeon in the National zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1990.Letchemi was a gentle performing elephant who suffered from a chronic joint disease as a result of being chained during her whole life.When she died in 1987 she was over 5o years old.She couldn`t lie down in the last stages because of that condition. Baba was an innocent Africian elephant who was chained during his whole life at the National Zoological gardens., In 1989 Kandula an elephant killed a mahout at an exhibition at a far away place .When he was taken away from the zoo it was in musth.,later he was suffering from a joint disease as a result of being chained all the time and was sent to Pinnawela .It was found dead . baby Nona is a performing elephant ,She is about 50 years old .She is suffering from joint disease. I resigned from the zoo in 1990.Raja mated with namali and a baby was born in 1991.They loved the baby.In March 1994 baby Jayathu was seperated from the parents and was sent to the elephant orphanage.They were sad and to make things worse Raja and Namali were seperated from each other and tied in a far away corner of the elephant shed.Raja became stubborn after that.Three days it was not unshackled as mahout Piyadasa was away.When he came to accompay Raja for elephant performances it had an infected wound,When he used the goad Raja killed him.Then it was chained and labelled as a killer.Meanwhile I was writing to President asking to change this and till then oldest elephanrts should be allowed to retire in a spacious place.I further requested that the chaining system should be abolished.,In 1997 Raja killed another mahout called Gunadasa. Raja was auctioned. He lost his wife son and herd forever. Elephants of the National Zoological Gardens should be moved to an environment where they can walk freely and let it offer environment enrichment.Elephant performances should be banned ..Three mahouts were killed in the National Zoological gardens.One mahout was killed at Pinnawela . .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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