Sri Lankan Elephant Owners press government for more animals

[Guest guest]

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*http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/February2144037SL.html*

*Tamed elephant owners in Sri Lanka woe over lack of animals

*Friday, February 2, 2007, *14:40* GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

 

 

Feb 02, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Association of the Owners of Tamed Elephants

has requested from the government to provide them elephants or to allow them

to catch them.

 

The Chairman of the Association of the Owners of Tamed Elephants, Nilanga

Dela Bandara says that Sri Lanka now has only 150 tamed elephants and 120 of

them are over sixty years old. He pointed out that only six elephants are

eligible for carrying caskets in religious processions.

 

Tamed elephant owners point out that there is an excess of elephants in

Dehiwala zoo and the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. They request from the

government at least to allow them to import some tuskers to carry the

caskets.

 

Sri Lanka has a long tradition of utilizing tamed elephants for various

purposes. However the animal lovers say that most of the tamed elephants

face inhuman treatments in the hands of the mahouts and the owners.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

thanks for this link, I will forward it to Lucien Rajakarunayake, who is an

advisor of the Sri Lankan President and who always makes sure, that the

President will pay special attention to animals. Providing more elephants for

religious and other purposes would mean more elephants suffering and I hope the

Government will not respond positively to this request. However, it is true,

that the Dehiwela zoo is overcrowded and provides no healthy environment for the

elephants there (neither for any other species).The Pinnawela orphenage is a

little better, at least they can walk on soil and bathe in the river; since it

is a major tourist attraction and a show-off piece, extreme cruelties are not

seen during the opening hours of the orphanage. Certainly they have a more

peacful life there, than if the had to carry trees and parade in the religious

procssions with noisy drums and dancers. Before those processions they are being

heavily sedated to minimize the risk, that they will freak out in this noisy and

crowded environment of the procession, however one or two always freak out and

people were hurt and even killed.

 

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aapn

Saturday, February 03, 2007 1:21 PM

Sri Lankan Elephant Owners press government for more animals

 

 

**

*http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/February2144037SL.html*

*Tamed elephant owners in Sri Lanka woe over lack of animals

*Friday, February 2, 2007, *14:40* GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

 

Feb 02, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Association of the Owners of Tamed Elephants

has requested from the government to provide them elephants or to allow them

to catch them.

 

The Chairman of the Association of the Owners of Tamed Elephants, Nilanga

Dela Bandara says that Sri Lanka now has only 150 tamed elephants and 120 of

them are over sixty years old. He pointed out that only six elephants are

eligible for carrying caskets in religious processions.

 

Tamed elephant owners point out that there is an excess of elephants in

Dehiwala zoo and the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. They request from the

government at least to allow them to import some tuskers to carry the

caskets.

 

Sri Lanka has a long tradition of utilizing tamed elephants for various

purposes. However the animal lovers say that most of the tamed elephants

face inhuman treatments in the hands of the mahouts and the owners.