Jumbo issues

Amalshan GUNERATHNE

Roughly around 125 to 150 elephants and 60 people die every year

Let’s stick together, so they can’t hurt us

Who will hear their cries for help?

It is tragic that the grasslands which once was a safe haven, has now turned into a deadly mine-field filled with peril? The very same meadows that once used to bless them with food and comfort are now filled with hazards. A sense of gloom and death lurks everywhere. No longer can they meander aimlessly in the rich wilderness. Heavy with suspicion, fear and doubt, they walk on.

Such are the problems elephants of Sri Lanka face today. At the very beginning, the invaders were nothing but random trespassers. There were times where both used to get along in harmony. But as time moved on, more trespassers came to invade their privacy. Even when the elephants’ privacy was compromised, they did not mind. It is when the raiders began to wreak havoc on their lands and take away what is rightfully theirs, they became enraged. They were furious to see their green homes being torn down by sophisticated human machinery. They decided to fight back and stand up for their rights, their lands, their homes and their loved ones. Needless to say that the conflict between elephants and humans has reached its climax and the time is ripe to intervene and prevent further mayhem.

Can we blame them for standing up for what is rightfully theirs? Can we blame them for avenging the injustices? Should humans be forgiven for taking away elephant habitats to satisfy their mercenary desires? Some would say no. Humans, those who take great pride in their intellectual capacity and heightened sensitivity, those who claim that they have reached the pinnacle of civilization have done nothing but invade their privacy and create chaos at the expense of both animal and human life.

True, sometimes the so-called intellectuals get together at luxurious board meetings to discuss ‘elephant issues’. But whether those proposals are implemented or not remains to be answered. Many proposals were made to prevent the conflict to no avail. Despite endless boardroom discussions, suggestions and proposals about preventing the conflict, it still ravages on.

Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa	University of Colombo Senior Lecturer of Zoology Dr Devaka Weerakon

Roughly around 125 to 150 elephants and 60 people die every year due to the conflict. “The conflict is escalating, the number of incidents are increasing every year,” says University of Colombo Senior Lecturer of Zoology Dr Devaka Weerakon. He explained that proposals and suggestions to counter the conflict have always been in existence. “But the real problem is that nobody is bothering to implement those proposals. The whole implementation process is retarded. It is a very frustrating dilemma.”

The grand development schemes under way may pose an even bigger threat to these gentle giants. The forests have been replaced by layers of vast concrete citadels. “There is no question that some of the recent development projects have had an immediate effect on their natural habitat. I am not saying that development is ‘bad’ and I am not against any development schemes, but development has to be sustainable,” said Dr Devaka Weerakon. He said that this requires solid planning. “The government or the development agency that is entrusted with the project has to make a real commitment and make sure that they carry out the conservation proposals which they promise to uphold.”

However when questioned on the dilemma, the Environment Minister, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that he does not agree that the development schemes have such a great impact on the conflict. “In some countries people build towns within forests. Human elephant conflict cannot be solved by demarcating them boundaries to keep elephants on one side and men in another.” He explained that people have to learn to understand the ways of these sophisticated creatures. Action must be taken to make villagers understand their behaviour and create harmony. “In the past people and elephants coexisted. The conflict can only be settled by recreating this environment.”

But, creating such a peaceful co-existence is still a distant dream. Men have come up with more twisted, warped and distorted ways of killing these poor creatures. Elephants can no longer even feel the taste of their favourite melon or cucumber, without having to worry that it will blow up in their mouths. Now melons and cucumbers come with explosives inside, colloquially referred to as Hakkapatas. As they try to munch them, the explosives inside trigger and burst within their jaws, resulting in a long and excruciating death resulted by starvation. “Hakkpatas is dangerous. Those who use it should be arrested and laws should be enforced to make it a nonbailable offense,” said the Minister.

Still, no matter how strict the rules are, the crimes do not stop. The hunting still goes on. “The rules are always there, but they just don’t put them into practice. It is how you implement those laws and regulations that create a law abiding society,” said Dr Devaka Weerakon.

In a sense, it is tragic that people do not realize the real value of this fascinating species. Elephants are without a doubt a tourist magnet. However, if the parks and sanctuaries are not properly managed, things will only aggravate. Speaking of the status of the contemporary Sri Lankan parks, Dr Weerakon says, “In most parks, tourist vehicles are not properly managed. Sometimes safari drivers drive their vehicles straight up to elephants and act in a very irresponsible manner. It irritates them.” He reiterated the importance of developing a mechanism to monitor such reckless behaviour. “In other countries Safari drivers are not permitted to act in such an irresponsible manner.”

Controversies regarding human-elephant conflict are endless. Among the latest to burst in to surface is the plans of the Pinnawala Orphanage to give away elephants to temples and other institutions. Many eye-brows were raised as to whether the elephants will get the same care and affection once they are taken by the new owners. When quarried on the matter, the Environment Minister said, “The whole controversy is absurd. There is nothing wrong in donating elephants to people who can care for them. We cannot ask Pinnawala to do everything. There are lots of elephant lovers out there who are willing to look after them. I don’t know why NGOs are crying over this matter.”

Will the cries of anguish and pain of the elephants be ever heard by the relevant authorities? Their numbers are thinning, yet their rebellion ravages on.