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Zoo staff warn against elephant ‘handovers’

14 Sep 2021

 
  • Oppose permanent handover to religious places
  • Buddhasasana Ministry defends gazette
  • Court halts new mom Sujeewa’s handover
  BY Pamodi Waravita The Sri Lanka Podujana National Zoological Gardens Department Employees’/Workers’ Association (Dehiwala) said yesterday (13) that if any attempts are taken to permanently take away elephants which are under the protection of the National Zoological Gardens Department, all unions attached to the Department will be taking action against them. “We cannot comment on the recent court decision on the returning of 14 elephants who were under our protection to their so-called ‘owners’ as we are government employees. However, the public has already expressed their disappointment on the matter. Our Director General (DG) Ishini Wickremesinghe has also tendered her resignation following the decision. Now we are hearing reports that there are plans to permanently take away other elephants that come under our protection, thus violating their rights and freedoms. We will take stern action if that is done,” said Sri Lanka Podujana National Zoological Gardens Department Employees’/Workers’ Association (Dehiwala) Chairman Krishantha Christopals. Currently, elephants are temporarily given to temples for the annual peraheras (processions). Christopals said that while they are not against this particular cultural practice, they condemn any further moves, which they have learnt are in the pipeline, to permanently take elephants away from the Department to religious places which have no space or means to look after such creatures. He added that the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage brings record numbers of tourists and tourist income to the country, and thus, its elephants must be protected. A recently issued gazette notification by Wildlife Protection, Adoption of Safety Measures including the Construction of Electrical Fences and Trenches, and Reforestation and Forest Resource Development State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake has called all those who “own” an elephant by a licence, a “sannasa (grant)”, other legal documents, or by succession, to register their elephants under these new regulations. It has received criticism from many environmentalists and animal rights organisations who claim that it would aid in the capture of wild elephants, lead to increased mistreatment of captive elephants, and support the commercial use of elephants in the tourism industry. The court decision on 6 September has directed 14 elephants under the charge of the National Zoological Gardens Department to be released to their original “owners” for registration. It is part of an ongoing legal procedure into illegal elephant trafficking that took place primarily between 2010 and 2015. Since 2015, 34 such elephants, including baby elephants, were taken into custody and held with the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and the National Zoological Gardens Department. Dissanayake has told several media outlets that he is unhappy with certain provisions in the aforementioned gazette. It is learnt that the Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry played a crucial role in the formulation of this gazette, and that Dissanayake had only placed his signature on it. Responding to claims that the gazette could aid in illegal wild elephant trafficking, Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Gunawardena told The Morning that these are all “false allegations levelled by those who benefit from the money of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).” “This gazette provides a transparent method for the regulation of tamed elephants. It is a good thing,” he said yesterday. When questioned about allegations that the new gazette could also lead to more elephants being used in the tourism trade, a practice which is regarded as “cruel” by many animal rights activists, Prof. Gunawardena questioned as to why it is a bad thing. National Zoological Gardens Department Director General Ishini Wickremesinghe handed in her resignation last week, following the aforementioned court decision. In a social media post over the weekend, she shared her disappointment on the release of the 14 elephants, along with a video of one of the elephants, Sri Devi, being taken away by an “owner”. “I was helpless in protecting her (Sri Devi) and the other elephants from being forcibly taken from Pinnawala. What cruelty it is to take away their freedom for personal interest,” she said. Meanwhile, the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court ruled yesterday (13) that one of the 14 elephants, “Sujeewa”, along with her baby, not be returned to her so-called “owner”, following an objection filed by Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Lawyer Ravindranath Dabare. Sujeewa had given birth to a baby elephant while under the protection of the DWC. Thus, lawyers have been able to temporarily stop her return to her so-called original “owner”.


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