To China with love

Dharme Sri ABEYRATNE

PINNAWELA: Sri Lanka will gift a Samadhi Buddha Statue and a baby elephant to China to mark the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

This presentation will be made during President Mahinda Rajapaksa's forthcoming State visit to China coinciding with the Golden Jubilee.

The Samadhi Buddha statue will be presented to the Wingguang temple in Beijing. The baby elephant named Migara will be gifted to the Government of China to be housed in one of their premier zoos.

China has declared 2007 as the "Year of Sri Lanka in China - 2007" which Sri Lanka has duly reciprocated, by declaring 2007 as "Year of China in Sri Lanka - 2007".

"Migara", born on June 23, 2001, is the first baby of "Menika". His grandmother is "Komali" which was among the first five orphans when the orphanage started in 1975. Migara weighs 975 Kilos and his height is five feet five inches.

"Migara is rather tame and obedient. He is healthy and strong so we selected this baby elephant for the donation," chief veterinary surgeon of the Pinnawela elephant orphanage Dr. R.C Rajapaksa told the Daily News.

Migara will be airlifted to China. His two keepers (mahouts), a veterinary surgeon and an assistant curator of the orphanage will accompany Migara and stay in China until he gets used to the Chinese language and food. A stock of food sufficient for two months will also be taken to China.

Chinese authorities have constructed a special climate-controlled enclosure for Migara which will closely mimic the Sri Lankan climate. However, he will be gradually exposed to the Chinese weather.

China has no wild elephants unlike many other Asian countries and only a handful of captive elephants live in zoos.