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| Wednesday, 5 November 2003 |
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Lanka's Jumbos on the firing line by Florence Wickramage King Dutugemunu in his historic war with King Elara had an army consisting of Eth, As, Riya and Pabala (elephants, horses, chariots and soldiers). It is said that the elephant army consisted of over 1000 tuskers. Sir Samuel Baker's book "Eight years in Ceylon" confirms the fact that there were hordes and hordes of elephants, even in Nuwara Eliya. "In those days the country was overrun with them, and some idea of their numbers may be gathered from the fact, that three first-rate shots in three days bagged 104 elephants". Early colonial rulers in Ceylon considered shooting elephants a Wild Sport.
At the turn of the century, there were about 10,000 wild elephants in Sri Lanka's jungles. During the last decades, the numbers had seriously dwindled. The number of elephants that roam about in scattered areas in herds is estimated as between 2,500 and 3,000. Considering the fact that killing elephants is currently getting out of hand, the elephant population could well be around 2000 or under. The Department of Wildlife Conservation sources revealed that the last census of elephants was done as far back as 1992 - 1994 and today's numbers `fixed' at 3500 could well be a guessing game. Cultural/national symbol The Sri Lankan elephant is considered as the country's cultural and national symbol. Cultural Festivals held in the country are not complete without the elephant. The Diyawadana Nilame of the Dalada Maligawa and the Basnayaka Nilame of the Saman Devalaya recently voiced their concerns regarding the depleting numbers of trained elephants who could parade in peraheras. The Private Elephant Owners' Association has sought Government assistance to obtain elephants as the numbers in their possessions were also on the decline. Conflict Elephants are killed due to various reasons. Main among them is the
Human-Elephant conflict where elephants are killed as they interfere with
agriculture. Other causes include electrocution, railway accidents,
poaching for ivory (rare) and farmers' trap guns. In the never-ending
conflict between man and elephant in Sri Lanka is losing about 3 elephants
a week in the wild. In the year 2001 a total of 162 elephants were killed and the main cause of death was gunshot injuries. In the same year about 34 people were killed by wild elephants while 30 others sustained various injuries from elephant attacks. Terrorism too has taken toll of the elephants and during this period 17 elephants had been shot and killed in the Lahugala jungle of the Ampara District. During the last two weeks in October four elephants died through train accidents. Therefore the escalating human-elephant conflict is today the most pressing conservation problem in wildlife management. The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) is capable of protecting the wildlife within the system of protected areas, and acknowledges the fact that ensuring the long-term survival of especially large, highly mobile animals such as the elephant outside the network of protected areas though difficult is necessary. DWLC's Administration Report for 2001 says "with the increase in human population and expansion of agriculture, there has been a progressive reduction in the habitat once available to wildlife, especially the elephant. As a result, elephant population have become small, fragmented and isolated. In some instances, these isolated population have become confined to small patches of habitat surrounded by a hostile agricultural landscape dominated by man. With their movement restricted, especially when food and water resources are depleted, such pocketed herds of elephants have trampled crops, uprooted garden, destroyed houses, and if threatened injured or even killed people. Elephants find ready source of highly palatable and nutritious food in cultivated areas, but they are unwelcome in agricultural areas. With their large size and intemperate appetite elephants can easily destroy the entire cultivation of a peasant farmer in a single night. Therefore the farmers look upon the elephant as a dangerous pest, and would rarely regret its disappearance from their neighbourhood". Recent developments have proved that "man and elephant can live in harmony". This has been proved by the villagers in Akkaraseeya in Haldummulla through a project undertaken by the Upper Watershed Management Project. The DWLC has also undertaken several projects to safeguard the rights of the elephant and man. The first National Workshop on Mitigation of Human-Elephant Conflict in Northwest Sri Lanka was held on April 5 and 6 in Anuradhapura. This came about since the DWLC decided to discuss the human-elephant conflict at a public forum in areas where it is most severe. The workshop came up with several practical solutions to minimise the conflict. Among recommendations were traditional methods which could be used within the country's context. Former Director DWLC Dayananda Kariyawasam said that in South Africa traditional methods have been used successfully - smoke, and chillies. In addition they have adopted a new technology to encourage beehives in areas where they do not want elephants wandering. It has been found that bees could chase elephants to quite a distance. This method using bees and wasps - a method traditional and cost effective could also be applicable to the local scenario. DWLC is presently aiming at long term sustainable plans. The elephant dwindling situation is currently critical. "To the tank from which we drank, ........ "That trumpet call - that All efforts must be harnessed immediately to protect the elephant. Can you imagine a Sri Lanka without the elephant? |
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"A century ago the tea-growing districts of Dickoya, Dimbula and
Maskeliya formed one huge forest in which countless numbers of elephants
roamed, and the large herds referred to in Sir Samuel Baker's books as
existing are no longer to be found there" (Ancient Ceylon). The book
also refers to the first kraal held to capture elephants - " A great
kraal was held in 1881 in Labugama, 28 miles from Colombo".
