{"id":118812,"date":"2021-10-02T16:09:59","date_gmt":"2021-10-02T23:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=118812"},"modified":"2021-10-13T14:10:48","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T21:10:48","slug":"the-elephant-in-sri-lanka-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2021\/10\/02\/the-elephant-in-sri-lanka-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"THE ELEPHANT IN SRI LANKA Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

revised\n12.10.21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When British\nrule ended and Sri Lanka became independent, the elephant regained its position\nas an important animal in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus<\/em>) was\nrecognized as one of three subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to Sri\nLanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The elephant became a protected animal, once again. This time to\nprevent the species from dying out. The Fauna and Flora Protection Act 1970\nsaid that no one could kill an      \nelephant.  If anybody killed an\nelephant he was liable for fine, imprisonment or both. No wild elephant can be captured, except by the Department\nof Wildlife Conservation, and that too only if the elephant was dangerous. The\ncaptured elephants were released to a wildlife reserve.[1]<\/a>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A survey\nconducted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in 1994 found that there\nwere 52 percent adults, 22 percent sub-adults and 26 percent juveniles. This is\na healthy population structure and augurs well for the future of the elephant\nin the wild provided there is sufficient habitat said Jayantha Jayawardena\n(citing Hendawitharana et al.,\n1994). [2]<\/a>  A large number of newly born babies were seen\nin 2001. [3]<\/a> A survey\nconducted by the Department of Wildlife Conservation in 2011 \u2013 12, concluded\nthat there are approximately 6000 elephants in the wild.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the elephant is\nno longer living in its own habitat in the natural forest as in ancient times.\nThat forest has disappeared. The elephant was now living in state reserves.\nThey are at Wilpattu, Yala, Gal Oya, Maduru oya, Victoria- Randenigala, Somawathiya,\nWasgomuwa, Uda Walawa, Peak wilderness, Flood plains, Sinharaja, Minneriya and Bundala.[5]<\/a>\nIn 2003 these reserves held a total of 1700 to 2100 elephants. [6]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The elephants do not always stay in the reserves. There is the\n\u2018Minneriya Gathering\u201d. Every year, July to September elephants\nherds congregate around the Minneriya reservoir, where grasses are rich and\nfertile. The elephants come from areas beyond the reservoir and herds with\nnumbers as large as 300 ~ 400 can be seen. \nThey come in small herds, usually family groups of elephants under a\nmatriarch. They   come together in search of water, an infusion\nof minerals and to ensure regeneration of the species. [7]<\/a>\nThe elephants then migrate to Kaudulla National Park from October to November\nand move to Hurulu Eco Park for the final leg of their migration from December\nto January. [8]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ashley de Vos also observed that elephants have now started to go\nup the southern highland plateau. This is shown in the elephant sightings at\nPoonagala, Millennium point, Koslanda, Randeligala. Kanneliya, Adam\u2019s Peak,\nplaces entered from the steep Koslanda hills. [9]<\/a>\nIt may be possible to recreate the forest landscape, in highlands being\nabandoned by the tea industry, and give back to the elephants their lost\nhabitat, he said. [10]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trained\ndomesticated elephant also comes from the wild population. Wild herds are the\nprimary source. It has traditionally been much cheaper, easier and more\nefficient to catch elephants in the forest and train them than to allow adult\nelephants to breed and wait 22 months for a calf to born and wait an additional\n10 years for the calf to grow to working size. [11]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An elephant\nout of commission during the 22 month gestation period and two years of nursing\nas not a very profitable elephant. [12]<\/a>  Also working elephants\nrarely breed in captivity. [13]<\/a> One reason\nthey don’t reproduce well is because they are too tired. [14]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The  Asian elephant is  very \ntrainable[15]<\/strong><\/a>   <\/strong>it\nis highly intelligent and Sri Lanka  has\na long history of training elephants .Captive elephants readily adapt to commands\nfrom humans because elephants in the wild live in hierarchal groups and are\nused to taking orders from other elephants, \nsaid specialists . [16]<\/strong><\/em><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when an\nelephant is on its own it needs further training and disciplining to make it\nobey many more commands. [17]<\/a>Training\ntakes six months to a year and the elephants learn about 30 commands. [18]<\/a> At least\nonce a day the elephants were carefully taken to the river for a bath. The\nmahouts talk to them constantly and sing them lullabies during their feeding\nand bathing time.[19]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elephants\nthat are kept in captivity are mainly fed on kitul, coconut, jak, Erythrina species, and bo (Ficus religiosa). Elephants also eat, depending on availability,\npota wel (Pothos scandens), gonna (Ficus callosa), palu\n(Manilkara hexandra), nuga (Ficus benghalensis), na\n(Mesua ferrea), attikka (Ficus racemosa), agal\nadara (Adhatoda vasica),\nbudeliya (Tetracera sarmentosa) and erabudu (Erythrina lithosperma). Banana (Musa spp.) is also consumed when available (Godagama, 1996) [20]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the districts in which there are tame elephants do not\nhave any wild elephant habitats. But because the\nfood of the tame elephant is entirely different from that of the wild ones, the\nlack of jungles is not a problem for elephant owners when looking for food for\ntheir elephants.[21]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trained elephants\nare used for haulage. A mature bull Asian elephant can carry 600 pounds with\nits trunk and tusks and pull loads of 9,000 pounds with a harness. [22]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elephants are\nused in the timber industry to uproot trees. They drag logs and load them onto\nlorries. [23]<\/a>  They can also guide log accurately into\nstreams. [24]<\/a> At the\ntimber yard or saw mill the elephants unload the logs off the lorry and stack\nthem. They are hired sometimes by the estates to haul   onto\nthe road the trees that have been felled for use as firewood and timber. [25]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elephants\nare   ideal   for forest operations. they don’t trample\nthe forest and damage young trees. They are the perfect vehicle for selective\ncutting. [26]<\/a> Mechanized\nlogging causes ten times more damage in local forests. [27]<\/a>  They can work in terrain inaccessible\nto vehicles.  [28]<\/a>  Since tractors and other\nmachinery can do this work faster. [29]<\/a> it is only\nin difficult and inaccessible terrain that elephants are needed today. [30]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Sri Lanka,\nlogging elephants work 15-20 days per month. [31]<\/a> Elephants\nwork for half a day, generally for five to six hours. During the other half of\nthe day they are rested and bathed. [32]<\/a> Then they\nare fed. [33]<\/a> Females\nare preferred for work because they are more compliant. [34]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elephants are\n also used to carry steel girders used\nfor roofs. They carry bags of sand from the rivers on to the road. Metal from\nstone quarries is brought to the road by elephants. [35]<\/a> ( continued)
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> he History and Value of the Elephant in\n
\nSri Lankan Society by Ranjith Bandara and Clem\nTisdell November 2005<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[2]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[3]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[4]<\/a> ashley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[5]<\/a> Wikipedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[6]<\/a> Department of Wildlife Conservation. 2003.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[7]<\/a> ashleyl<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[8]<\/a> taken from tourist items on gtoogle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[9]<\/a> ashley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[10]<\/a> ashley<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[11]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[12]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[13]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[14]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[15]<\/a> me<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[16]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[17]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[18]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[19]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[20]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[21]<\/a> Jayantha J http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[22]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[23]<\/strong><\/a>he care\nand management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri Lanka – Jayantha\nJayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/a>\nGiants on Our Hands: Proceedings of the International Workshop on the\nDomesticated Asian Elephant bANGKOK, \n2001<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[24]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[25]<\/a>he care\nand management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri Lanka – Jayantha\nJayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/a>\nGiants on Our Hands: Proceedings of the International Workshop on the\nDomesticated Asian Elephant bANGKOK, \n2001<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[26]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[27]<\/strong><\/a>he care\nand management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri Lanka – Jayantha\nJayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm.( Jayasekere et al.,\n1995)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[28]<\/a> https:\/\/factsanddetails.com\/asian\/cat68\/sub431\/item2469.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[29]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[30]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[31]<\/strong><\/a>he care\nand management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri Lanka – Jayantha\nJayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[32]<\/a> The care and management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri\nLanka – Jayantha Jayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[33]<\/strong><\/a> Ashoka\nDangolla and Indira Silva The Status and Veterinary Problems in Captive\nElephants Sri Lanka Sri Lanka2021  htps:\/\/www.aserc.org\/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=61<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[34]<\/strong><\/a> Ashoka\nDangolla and Indira Silva The Status and Veterinary Problems in Captive\nElephants Sri Lanka Sri Lanka2021 \nhtps:\/\/www.aserc.org\/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37&Itemid=61<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[35]<\/strong><\/a>he care\nand management of domesticated Asian elephants in Sri Lanka – Jayantha\nJayewardene http:\/\/www.fao.org\/3\/ad031e\/ad031e09.htm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS revised 12.10.21 When British rule ended and Sri Lanka became independent, the elephant regained its position as an important animal in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) was recognized as one of three subspecies of the Asian elephant and native to Sri Lanka. The elephant became a protected animal, once […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}