Baby elephants should be reunited with their herd of Pinnawela

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Kala Santha

 

The Island 14th of July

www.island.lk

Opinion

 

From our e-mail

Boycott Lanka, hell on earth for elephants

 

I read on the internet that the local authority at Aranayake had requested

six elephants from the elephant orphanage to be given to a Vedamahaththaya

of Aranayaka who has a clinic by the riverbed of Maoya at Aranayake. The

local authority is using this as a project to show the Ali Wedakama

(treatment of elephants) and attract tourists to Aranayaka. Heated iron rods

are used to burn the boils to treat the legs of the elephants. The elephant

is not anaesthetised. That is a cruel outdated method.

 

Furthermore, many elephants from the elephant orphanage have been given to

private parties or temples, where they are treated cruelly. Elephants are

chained and have to lie in their own excreta on concrete floors. These

elephants develop abnormal behaviour such as head bobbing and rocking from

side to side.

 

Elephants are extremely social animals and should never be kept in solitary

confinement. Mother and offspring should be kept together until the

offspring is at least seven-years-old.

 

The elephants who are used for tourist rides are often denied food, water

and rest.

 

They are forced to work in the hot sun for hours. Their backs have sores

from the sharp howdah.

 

If the government feels that they are unable financially to maintain the

elephants at Pinnawela they can release some of these elephants and the

elephants at Ath Athuru Sevana to safe areas of the jungle.

 

We will boycott Sri Lanka, as long as elephants are abused in this manner.

Sylvia Laver

Brisiweg 34

CH-8400 Winterthur

Switzerland

 

Peter Beck

Wallruetistr. 115

8404 Winterthur

Switzerland

 

Kelly Bula

Ohringerstr. 113

8472 Seuzach

Switzerland

 

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Opinion

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The Island www.island.lk

Help Sri Lankan elephants 17th of July

 

To Prime Minister

 

We know that the Buddha has been very kind to animals. He wanted all animals

and humans to be healthy and happy. We were surprised to hear that the

Agriculture Ministers of the previous government and the present government

were issuing guns to the farmers to protect the crops from the wild boars.

Large number of wild elephants and other animals and humans were injured and

killed because of that. We request your government to stop issuing guns to

the farmers and remove humans from the encroached areas. Baby elephants

become orphaned because of that.

 

We were shocked to hear that your government has decided to give six

elephants from the elephant orphanage to a Vedamahaththya of Aranayaka who

has a clinic at the riverbed of Maoya at Aranayake. Heated iron rods are

used to burn the boils to treat the legs of the elephants. The elephant is

not anaesthetised. That is a cruel outdated method. It is unethical to show

the treating of animals to tourists.

 

It is accepted world wide that the sick or healthy wild animals get stressed

when humans are present.

 

Your government has given away six elephants from the elephant orphanage.

Orphaned wild elephants have found a home at Pinnawela. Taraka, Chula,

Kumari and Sinharaja have found a home in Pinnawela with the other

elephants. They have lost their paradise. Saliya and Isuru who were born at

Pinnawela were cruelly separated from the parents. They are just

4-years-old. Sinharaja is an orphaned wild elephant. It was given to the

Polwatte temple at Gampaha. A Minister of Gampaha District has requested to

give the elephant.

 

This a very bad decision as this temple was given a female elephant named

Kanchana from the orphanage. Last year it died as lightening struck her

metal chain. She was 10-years-old at the time of her death. We heard that

these elephants will be like dead elephants as they would be beaten and tied

by the chains most of the time.

 

We request to allow baby elephants to live with their friends and parents at

Pinnawela and to take them to these processions in the relevant temples

during the period of the processions. Elephants are very social animals and

should never be kept in solitary confinement and mother and offspring should

be kept together until the offspring is at least seven years of age.

 

The elephants who are used for tourist rides are often denied food, water

and rest. They are forced to work in the hot sun for hours. Their backs have

sores from the sharp howdah. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association

instituted a policy against the use of elephants for rides.

 

I am appalled that elephants are beaten to entertain tourists and they live

in hell. Chained for life. We request you to introduce a anti-chaining

legislation.

 

You can be sure that neither I, nor my family friends or co-workers will not

visit Sri lanka or buy sri lankan products in my country till you stop

separating these orphans from their friends at Pinnawela and reuniting them

with their friends at Pinnawela elephant orphanage.

 

If your government feel that you are financially not able to maintain the

elephants at Pinnawela you can release some of these elephants and the

elephants at Ath athuru sevana to safe areas of the jungle.

Jeni Shannaz

Indonesia