Dr Sudath Gunasekara. Mahanuwara

And, instead, put all the Sri Lankan politicians, who have robbed and destroyed the motherland since 1977 in these cages, if you want to rediscover and restore, that was Sri Lanka, once hailed as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean and the Granary of the East”.  Because such drastic punishment to corrupt and rogue politicians will teach a good lesson for them and those who come to politics hereafter will never rob public money in future or do anything detrimental to the Motherland or the people so that it will also create world history, another first to Sri Lanka.

Such action will also ease congestion in jails in the country and provide a human zoo for exhibition of a unique  kind of animals for the citizens as well as tourists.

Talking about the animals in the Zoos they should never be put in a zoo for public exhibition or any other purpose, for the following reasons

1 It is inhuman for us to keep these animals imprisoned for life like this for they also have a right to live free in their natural habitat as much as humans have as our ancient Kings had said.

2 Sri Lanka never had animal zoos in its entire history other than a bird reared at homes as a pet (Oh king animals in the jungle also have the right to roam freely in their natural habitat as humans do Mahinda Mahaathera to King Devaanam piyatissa who was on a hunting spree 307. BC)

3 This is a sinful practice blindly copied from the European Colonial invaders.  

(I remember how SWRD released his fathers private zoo kept to entertain his Colonial friends)

4 As there is no need to have imprisoned animals for people to see as people anywhere in the world can view them at home freely moving around in their natural habitats thanks to modern technology.

5 In view of the colossal expenditure annually incurred to maintain them particularly at a time like the present, when every cent saved is crucial for our survival in this country and where the state has no money even to provide the basic needs of the people like food, water, medicine, cooking gas, electricity, fuel needed for transport and industry and where the whole country has gone bankrupt due to theft, waste and extravagant expenditure by the government[S1] 

(The total expenditure incurred by the Government consolidated fund at the end of 2019 was Rs. 457.891 million as capital expenditures and Rs. 457.815 million as recurrent Expenditures (Total 915,706 M) How on earth we can justify spending such a colossal sum of money annually to keep an innocent set of animals imprisoned for life when its citizens are starving

6 What is more is after all we inherit a rich culture for over 2500 years as  a Buddhist country where all sentient beings are treated as our equal, when it comes to freedom and right for life and compassion and love for all sentient beings is cardinal.

The article referred to above.

Shut down the Dehiwala Zoo for helpless animals imprisoned for life denying h teir freedom to life and Bir Senaka Weeraratna

It is time that right thinking people take a strong stand against the establishmentand maintenance of Zoos.

In today’s world with so many modern gadgetry available such as computers, videos, internet, broadband, Youtube, and the like, there is no justification for keeping animals incarcerated in cages and small enclosures for the rest of their lives in Zoos maintained purely for the benefit and pleasure of human beings.

Animals are made to serve a life sentence in miserable conditions in zoos without having committed a single crime. Had any human being been placed in that situation he or she would become a cause célèbre around the world. We price the freedom of fellow humans and disregard the claims for freedom of other sentient beings.

Animals are sentient beings and like humans they too would like to have their freedom to roam in the fields, jungles etc. without restrictions. Zoos deny them this freedom.

It is man’s inhumanity and insensitivity towards other living beings that makes some people perpetrate abusive conduct and the rest of us (with exceptions) to look the other side without sticking their neck out to help save the life of another living being e.g. animal.

Today anyone can watch any animal anywhere in the world including some even at the bottom of the sea and their natural behavior with the latest technology. With the availability of such modern technology it is morally indefensible to incarcerate animals for life in a zoo.

What joy can anyone get by seeing the sad sullen faces of caged animals staring into empty space. They live in small enclosures. They are all mental wrecks. Many of these animals suffer trauma and are pathologically mentally unsound being deprived of their freedom and scope for natural behavior.

What moral lessons can visitors especially children learn from seeing animals in captivity pleading in silence for someone to rescue them. This scenario is human cruelty at one of its worst. Compassion to animals is one of the great lessons of humanity. But this is hardly visible inside a Zoo.

Let us join hands and put an end to animal prisons for good. We must try to make Sri Lanka a better place not only for humans but animals as well. They are also morally entitled to a better existence like us. Let us make it happen.

Wrongful imprisonment of humans is a crime under the Penal Code. It is unequivocally a manifestation of an injustice. Likewise the imprisonment of animals in cages in Zoos is equally wrong. A travesty of Justice. 

The Rule of Law must extend also to the protection of animals.

The Human Rights Discourse is being viewed cynically not only because the pedlars of HR are people with soiled hands dishing out HR with self serving agendas but because of their lack of empathy for the cause of animals. When it comes to pain and suffering, both humans and animals are in the same boat.

Let us work together to phase out Zoos and end Zoo culture in Sri Lanka. Animals do not exist for human abuse or human entertainment. They are entitled to our respect as we are all united, from a Buddhistic point of view, of being fellow travellers in the Sansaric journey.

Under these circumstances, we urge the Govt. of Sri Lanka, to consider taking the following steps, without delay:

1) Relocate all Zoo animals to sanctuaries or open parks in Rideegama and Pinnawela, thereby giving them greater freedom of movement,

2) Allow the uncaged free roaming birds that visit the Dehiwala Zoo regularly to fly in and fly out as in the past, without hinderance,

3) Convert the Dehiwala Zoo to an urban jungle by transplanting indigenous plants that will grow into large shady trees. This will add to making the former Zoo area into an ‘ urban lung ‘ thereby enabling the dense population of Colombo and adjacent outstation areas to breath in the Oxygen produced by these Trees and in turn for the Trees to absorb the Carbon di Oxide (CO2) exhaled by humans and other living beings.

4) Establish a modern centre for the study of Plants (Botany) and Pharmacology, among others, at the Dehiwala Zoo once it is no more a Zoo,

5) Discard the ill informed decision to establish another similar type of Zoo in Kahapola, Piliyandala. Instead follow the example of Buddhist Bhutan which have closed down all Zoos except one or two kept open for the specific purpose of preserving and looking after the welfare of endangered animals that have their roots in Bhutan.

6) Refrain from exchanging local born animals specific to Sri Lanka with foreign countries. Animals born in Sri Lanka have a right to exist in this country until the end of their natural life. They should not be forcefully seized and exchanged as gifts or chattels with foreign zoos, particularly those that are located in temperate climates. Harsh cold climates are totally unsuited for animals such as Elephants that require a tropical climate for healthy living. Place the interest of the animal as paramount in any deals with foreign zoos.

7) Introduce Animal Protection as a subject in schools from the pre – school stage. The younger generation has to be taught their responsibility and historic obligation to re – establish an Animal Friendly Culture in Sri Lanka.

We must reconnect ourselves with our pre – colonial heritage which conceded greater respect for animals than the post – colonial generations.

There is no record of Zoos being established to keep caged animals as a matter of public policy by our former Kings except in one or two instances. This is a unique historical achievement and cause for pride for Sri Lanka even in the international arena.

It is time that Sri Lanka reverts back to the ancient practice of giving freedom to animals respecting their sentience and caring for them rather than imprisoning them in Zoos, a practice which we have uncritically acquired from our former colonial masters and now find ourselves incapable of decolonizing our minds and lifestyles as a prelude to giving freedom to innocent animals imprisoned in Concentration Camps deceptively called Zoos.

Justice for Animals and Nature

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