Sri Lanka hell on earth

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Midweek Review

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Wednesday 6th August 2003

The Island

 

www.island.lk

 

Sri Lanka, hell on earth for animals

 

By Kala Santha

Sri Lanka is fast gaining notoriety the world over as a hell on earth for

animals as could be seen from the protests from various countries against

the cruelty that Sri Lankan elephants as well as other animals are subjected to.

 

It is quite paradoxical that Sri Lanka, which boasts of a culture and

civilisation dating back to millennia ago, lags behind many other countries

as regards protecting rights of animals.

 

For example, the US has introduced H.R.1887 which would prohibit the

creation, sale or possession of a depiction of cruelty to animals with the

intention of placing that depiction in interstate or foreign commerce for

commercial gain. The bill defines such cruelty as a visual or auditory

depiction `in which a living animalis intentionally maimed, mutilated,

tortured, wounded, and/or that is illegal under Federal law or the law of

the state concerned. Convicted violators could be fined and or imprisoned

for not more than five years. Former President Bill Clinton signed the bill

into law.

 

But, here, a vedamahaththya (native doctor) in Aranayake backed by

politicians and a local government body, uses heated iron rods to burn the

boils of elephants. This is nothing but cruelty to animals for pure

commercial gain by way of a tourist attraction. Ayurvedic physicians don`t

hurt their patients be they humans or animals and veterinarians can heal

these boils without burning them or subjecting them to such suffering.

 

It is high time this practice was brought to an end.

 

The Aranayake Pradeshiya Sabha which is behind the project must be asked to

think of something else to attract tourists without subjecting elephants to

such suffering for the sake of a few dollars.

 

Captive elephants

 

Captive elephants of Sri Lanka are afflicted with highly contagious

tuberculosis spreading rapidly and humans, too, who are exposed to them run

the risk of contracting the disease. This poses a serious threat to public

health.

 

Rampage is also very common among captive elephants. In 1989 Kandula killed

a mahout at the Gam Udawa exhibition. It was in must. In 1996 Raja, a

performing elephant was unshackled for 3 days and the keeper prodded his

wounded leg with a goad to lead him for elephant performances. He killed the

trainer. Raja killed another elephant keeper 18 months later. In 1998 Raja

was sold at a public auction at the zoo. Last year, a mahout was killed by

an elephant belonging to the person who bought Raja. The animals used in

performances suffer immensely due to anxiety, stress and exertion. In

countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland , Denmark , Singapore and Brazil wild

animal performances are banned. India has banned five wild animals from

being used for performance. Hawai and California, too, have imposed a ban on

animal performances.

 

But, here, in Sri Lanka we still continue to have animal performances. The

elephants undergo tremendous suffering when walked in processions. In July

1998 Nawam Raja, an elephant belonging to the Gangarama temple ran along the

Dharmapala Mawatha chasing his animal keeper. Few days later he carried the

sacred casket at Kandy Esala Perahera. Next day in the evening the keeper

removed the chain from the back leg of Navam Raja and it knocked him over,

gored him and threw him in anger. He succumbed to his injuries. In 1999 when

Sinharaja was walking in a procession it went berserk and started attacking

spectators and chased the keeper. One foreigner was thrown off a wall and

suffered a fracture on her leg. In a separate incidnet an elephant returning

from the Kaduwela procession killed its mahout. This is how jumbos react

violently when they are made to suffer for days.

 

The Buddha never asked for the use of elephants in processions. Nor did he,

to my knowledge, ever ask for processions in the first place. And it is

certainly against the tenets of Buddhism for elephants to be chained within

temple premises. There is evidence that some elephants donated to temples

end up in the hands of Ali Mudalalis, who rake in money at the expense of

the poor animals which are used for handling heavy loads of logs etc.

Similarly, the performing elephants, too, suffer tremendously for the sake

of their owners who with no compassion translate their suffering into

monetary gains. The elephants rides which are popular among foreign tourists

in some parts of the country are a case in point.

 

Bodhisathva as an elephant

 

According to Mathu Poshaka Jathakaya once the Buddha in one of his previous

births was an elephant in India. He was bringing fruits and leaves for the

blind mother and looking after her very dutifully. One day a veddah, who

went hunting in the forest lost his way and the Bosath elephant guided him

out of the wilds. Impressed, the veddah rushed to the king related his

experience and told him that the animal he had seen was fit to be the royal

elephant. The King ordered that the elephant be caught and brought to the

palace. The veddha did as he was told.

 

Separated from his poor mother, the elephant would have no meals and sulk.

The king was wise enough to realise that the elephant had a problem. and

where The elephant belonged not to the palace but but the jungle. Therefore

the wise king let him go back to the jungle and reunite with his mother and

the herd.

 

But sadly what we witness by way of treatment to elephants in this country

is the polar opposite of the moral of this Jathaka Story. The tuskers have

practically disappeared because of poaching or being donated to temples and

sale to elephant owners. The Agriculture Minister has recommended provision

of guns to farmers to protect the crops and now a very large number of

elephants and other animals are killed or injured. Many people have also

sustained gunshot injuries from trap guns which are galore in shrubs and

jungles of the dry zone. The government should not provide guns to the

farmers as they ar

 

'Wretched of Pinnawela'

 

A writer from Rajagiriya who recently wrote about the Wretched of Pinnawela

(The Island of July 18)), I believe, was speaking on behalf of advisory

groups who misled the previous government claiming that building hotels in

elephant corridors, elephant polo, private zoos, commercial hunting and ADB

`s Protected Area Management and Wild Life project would help our country.

 

Now they are misleading the present government as well. They have a 'Guru'

who has sought to justify his killing and collecting of innocent wild

animals as specimens claiming that it is only from such collections that

their former existence can be convincingly proved.

 

It was reported that this group has disturbed and destroyed the habitats of

the innocent frogs, crabs and other endangered animals

 

for their 'bio-repository' and sent those specimens to other countries too.

That being illegal, the question is why the Government has granted

permission for such activities. That writer's intent appears to be to help

not the elephants but the private owners of elephants. He has mentioned that

well trained monitor elephants are necessary to capture and translocate

seasonal crop raiders and the Minister is going to hand over some of the

elephants from Pinnawela to experienced private elephant trainers/owners to

train them properly for that job. We feel that under the guise of training

these elephants they would be used by the private individuals to transport

logs. At present there are 39 female elephants and 26 male elephants at

Pinnawela. Pinnawela is the best and the most successful place for elephant

breeding.

 

Mr Jagath Gunawardena has mentioned that 20 elephants have been born at

Pinnawela during the last 20 years while there have been only seven births

given by other captive elephants in the last 50 years. Four baby elephants

were born during the 3-year period I worked at the National Zoological Gardens.

 

The writer from Rajagiriya has mentioned that to think that you can simply

leave fully grown elephants who, due to excessive interaction with man

cannot be released to the wild, to wander around in a very constricted space

is rubbish. We would like to know then how he is going to control crop

raiders by using the Pinnawela elephants? Does he think the so called

experienced private elephant trainers/owners have the help of the Devas to

do that ?

 

These elephants would be brutally beaten like the elephants of the Kottawa

(Horahena) elephant owner to break their will and instill fear in them. This

is nothing but slavery of the majestic beast, which must be stopped

forthwith. True home of the jumbos is the jungle. Naturally they want to

return to their home.

 

Let them be released to the jungles where they belong. Dr Jacob V. Cheeran,

a member of the steering committee of Project Elephant has mentioned in the

resource material of the elephant camp of Jaipur that Elephants can never be

completely domesticated. They always have a desire to return to the wilds

unlike some other domesticated species such as dogs and cats.

 

I participated in the treatment clinics organised by the Help in Suffering

for captive elephants, which was held in Jaipur in 2001. I don`t like to see

these Pinnawla elephants reduced to servitude like the miserable working

elephants of Jaipur. I have suggested in an article titled, SANCTUARY FOR

ELEPHANTS in 2001, that the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage be expanded. The

other conservationists also have submitted their suggestions. The previous

government gifted two elephants named Ranga and Mali to Japan. The elephants

presented to Japan are highly stressed and physically and suffer from

neurosis and abnormal behaviour.

 

Private zoos

 

The private zoos are engaged in the trade of animals and animal parts and

they stock animals from the wilds and as a result animals would become extinct.

 

Culebra Amazon Parrot, Paradise Parrot, Mauritius Parrot are extinct because

they were victims of the unbriddled animal trade. Some visitors have seen

young crocodiles and a python at the Ahungalle zoo. They are not permitted

to exhibit local fauna.

 

The government has blundered by allowing the Ahungalle zoo to be re-opened.

Dawson`s Caribou became extinct in 1908 in Queen Charlote Island because

humans shot the last survivors, two bulls and cows except the calf.

 

The calf died soon afterwards as it couldn`t survive without its parents.

The people who genuinely wanted to conserve wild life have allowed the last

few animals of species to exist. Gastric Brooding Frog of Queensland and

Palestenian Painted Frog from Israel are such examples.

 

Missing rhino horn

 

How can the Sri Lankan government guarantee the safety of the animals in

private zoos and private collections when they have failed to provide

protection for animals at the National Zoological Garden itself? In March

2001 the authorities began investigating the disappearance of a crocodile

carcass from a freezer and the discovery of an elephant hide in the room of

a zoo veterinarian, who had been implicated in the

 

1988 disappearance of Bengal tigers head which was eventually found in the

zoo aquarium.

 

These incidents led to an inquiry to find whether the zoo was involved in

selling wild animal parts. Meanwhile, on April 6, 2001, female black rhino

called, Momella was found dead. She had reportedly died of electric shock

when she tried to bite a wire.

 

The Zoo Director and the Assistant Director were transferred and a new was brought in. We believe that Momella`s death was not due to an

accident.

 

What has happened to Momella`s horn? What about the inquiry against the

veterinarian in February 2003?

 

The baby elephant, Ganga's eye was struck by her keeper. In early March 2003

a backhoe was used near the elephant shed of the National Zoological

Gardens. Two African baby elephants were scared and started banging their

heads and blood was pouring from their ears. Animals continue to suffer

while the Director of the Zoo and his staff have a nice time in

airconditioned comfort.

 

The scarce funds should not be wasted on making lives of officers

comfortable. They must be properly utilised for maintaining the zoo a place

fit for sustaining animals in humane conditions.

 

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