Ban jumbo diplomacy

Sports and Entertainment Minister Gamini Lokuge was reported last week making a remark which cannot be considered to be entertaining on the tragic fate awaiting a nine-year-old cow elephant which had been living in the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.

The elephant which had been frolicking in the warm waters of the Ma Oya all her life with her family of jumbos is to be sent to a zoo in Armenia which is freezing for a greater part of the year.

Rejecting protests by animal rights activists about the fate of the elephant, Lokuge is reported to have said: 'Tell me one thing people do not protest about in this country.'

Lokuge, the former UNP trade unionist may have protested about anything and everything in his trade union days but the protests of the animal rights activists over this issue which has touched the heart strings of the nation cannot be dismissed with such skewed trade union logic.

Heritage endangered

Elephants are very much a part of the heritage of all Sri Lankans. They are intertwined in our history, religion and culture. It is an incumbent duty of the present generation to protect and foster these majestic beasts for future generations.

Yet, with all the poojas and hosannas paid to them they are a dying breed. Every week we hear reports of these animals being slaughtered by poachers, villagers in attempts to protect their crops and mowed down by trains passing through jungles. No comprehensive plan has been put together to save the jumbos and their only refuge is the Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela.

Gifts of friendship

In addition to the calamities caused in their natural habitat we have our political leaders visiting foreign countries and offering our elephants as 'gifts of friendship' towards these nations. Such friendly international relations are indeed in our interests although right now we seem to have very few genuinely friendly countries backing us in our moments of crisis.

Much more efforts are required than the gifting of elephants. But this stupid exercise of gifting elephants to foreign countries only results in the depletion of our jumbo population which is perhaps less than 2000 right now.

Maharajas and Maharanis

Our political leaders seem to consider elephants roaming in the wild or living in captivity as their private property. It must be boosting their egos to pose off as Maharajas or Maharanis offering jumbos as gifts of friendship. It costs them nothing. But copious tears are shed on behalf of saving the elephants. We wonder whether our Foreign Ministry has kept a record of the animals that have been gifted by our political leaders.

Whatever happened to these animals that have been donated to foreign zoos? After the photo opportunities are over with our political leaders posing off with their 'gifts' together with foreign dignitaries, does the Sri Lanka government follow up and check the welfare of the animals? Apparently not.

The animals are gifted to countries with temperate climates which are quite unsuitable for these animals born in the tropics. Reports about the Yerevan Zoo in Armenia where our elephant Asokamala is intended to be sent say that one elephant had died there after slipping on the snow and falling down. It is said to have died of malnutrition and hypothermia (cold).

Elephants we are aware need enormous quantities of vegetation. Do these countries which have denuded their forests have sufficient vegetation to feed jumbos?

Minister Lokuge has said that all the relevant departments  and authorities will 'prepare' the elephant before it is sent to Armenia but the greater issue will be its treatment in the Yerevan Zoo such  as the space that will be provided and accommodation in extremely cold weather.

Whose responsibility?

Lokuge has said that he was not the minister in charge when this deal was initiated and he was merely following up with the procedure. But he will be held responsible for the fate of this animal. He can cancel the deal or request President Rajapakse to do so. 

It appears that he is being duped. He is quoted saying that the Meteorological Department of Armenia had said that the weather conditions there are similar to Sri Lankan weather these days. It is obvious that the weather conditions will not remain the same and usually during winter it will go down to sub zero conditions.

The suffering of animals, even in reputed zoological gardens, is very well known.

The trauma that huge animals undergo when confined to small spaces and unfamiliar surroundings can well be imagined. Why should a country with an essentially Buddhist and Hindu population who have greater regard for elephants subject this poor animal to such torture? Is it for the delight of Armenian kids?

All Sri Lankan governments should work towards the objective of abolishing zoos rather than contributing attractions. The concept of caged zoos is now outdated and the trend is to have animals fenced off in large areas where they can be observed in natural environments.

Ban gifting jumbos

President Rajapakse should take an example from his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh who issued a directive in 2005 stopping the practice of gifting animals by the state and head of state. It is relevant to note that this ban followed protests by animal rights activists against an Indian elephant being gifted to this same Yerevan Zoo. Asokamala is intended as a substitute.