NEVER HEARD AFTER SHE LEFT HERD

Tharindu Muthukumarana

I have been following the plight of Mali for months and today I am glad that it has reached the eye of Sri Lankans. Mali is a Sri Lankan elephant who was gifted to Manila zoo in Philippines in 1977. Today, in the zoo, Mali is undergoing a stressful life affected physiologically as well as psychologically. However according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which is the world's largest animal right activist group, Manila Zoo has about 72 square yards (60 square meters) with a cement enclosure given for Mali to roam. Thirty-eight year old Mali is the only elephant in Manila zoo, the only elephant in Philippines too.

Isolation

Elephant's family units could be considered as tight-knit both socially and structurally. Herds move and function in a cooperative and coordinated manner. Mali is a female elephant. Wild females, born into a family, stay in the family rest of their lives. Males, on the other hand, leave the family shortly after reaching sexual maturity and have a solitary life. The female elephants learn that their future could be mothering, leadership, integration into and being a useful member of the existing society. Each social society is made up of an intricate network of relationships and a process of interactions with other members, the mechanisms of which must be learned. Therefore, the loss of its family or social bond network in Pinnawala and the isolation at present must be a traumatic experience for Mali.

Mali is said to be suffering from stereotype behaviour at present. Stereotypes are defined as repetitive invariant behavioural patterns that have no obvious goal and function or no purposeful behaviours. Stereotypical behaviours are a clear indication that an elephant is suffering. A restriction in behavioural complexity and deprivation of social and emotional requisites can be experienced as stressful and frustrating, resulting in atypical behaviour patterns such as stereotypy. In elephants, stereotypes have been described as intentions to stepping forward and backward and accompanied by rhythmical body and trunk swaying, either in a forward-backward movement or sideways while the animal is standing on the spot, accompanied by head-nodding and often by trunk-swinging. These stereotypes are known as weaving also this behaviour pattern can be mainly the result of chaining the animal. Next to weaving, other forms of stereotype behaviour are also known among elephants. In certain zoos, elephants walk stereotype laps and elephants kept in narrow pens develop complex stereotype series of fore-steps, side steps and back-steps.

According to Dr. Fred Kurt (Member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of IUCN) circus people sometimes state that weaving is essential for blood circulation - rather an extraordinary conjecture. But none of the numerous studies on wild elephants weaving is mentioned, although zoo speakers occasionally say that weaving occurs also under natural conditions. He therefore describes that weaving is always associated with intensive keeping systems, i.e. more or less permanent chaining in small stalls, where living conditions deviate fundamentally from the natural environment in which the animal's behavioural organisation has been shaped by evolution. Normally in captive elephants that get lack of proper treatment, toenails of the elephant are likely to break, split and fall off. Without treatment, such conditions will damage the animal's general health. Movement becomes difficult and it is possible the elephant will die. According to pictures, published by PETA, of poor conditions of Mali's feet; I recognise Mali is in bad condition. One picture shows that Mali was a victim of split toenails. Elephants that spend much time on concrete floors and get poor nutrition or malnutrition can suffer from split or broken nails.

Lack of care

Renowned veterinarian and elephant expert Dr. Melvyn Richardson mentions that Mali is lacking veterinary care. He has also recognised that Mali has chronic pressure sores in both hips and both sides of her face. These areas can become infected and become chronic abscesses. After observing the video footages by PETA Dr Richardson mentioned that Mali perhaps can be a victim of Osteoarthritis/Degenerative joint disease (DJD) since in her behaviour she shifts her weight onto three legs and rest one limb frequently. DJD may result from an imbalance of the integrity of the joint and the extrinsic forces placed on it. Typically there are mechanical insults that contribute to the development of joint disease, but biological factors may also play a role. Mechanical trauma due to repetitive loading stress on hard surface is probably a major factor in the development of joint disease.

Mali's lack of sufficient exercise, excessive body weight and poor conformation are other potential underlying factors conformation may concentrate stress and mechanical failure may result in the joint. If she is suffering in DJD, treatment for DJD should be a comprehensive approach and include a variety of treatments and also an evaluation of husbandry practices. Rest is essential after acute inflammation has subsided. Moderate exercise will not have a deleterious effect on the healing of cartilage. Exercise such as swimming, which seems to absent in the Manila zoo, can be a good way for an animal to exercise while weight bearing on the affected joint.

Socialised environments

Head of Manila's public Recreation and Parks Bureau Deogracias Manimbo mentions that Mali will not get used to a different environment after having being in Manila zoo. The problem is not whether Mali will socialise or not. Elephants are animals that can get used to environments. This fact has been proven before - elephants from captivity have been introduced to social natural elephant environments and it has been a great success. PETA looks forward to seeing Mali to be transferred to Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary (BLES) in Thailand, which has been a world-renowned elephant rehabilitation centre. This sanctuary's goal is to rescue and protect the elephants from abuse and ultimate extinction by breeding. Elephants in BLES interact in a natural environment and even let people come and see. BLES has already offered a place for Mali as soon as the Filipino government agrees on her release. My opinion is it will be all right to have elephant in ‘captivity’, but provided they are given adequate and proper treatment. Researchers will find it easier to study the elephants that way. Elephants, such as Mali, must be transferred to a better place with immediate action.

(Writer is admin of the facebook page ‘Sri Lankans for Mali'. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sri-Lankans-For-Mali/448365708567649)