by Sagarica Rajakarunanayake(February 19, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, which has the distinction of being the world’s first orphanage for elephants of the wild and considered a landmark in ex-situ elephant conservation, is today severely under threat. It has also the distinction of being one of the most successful breeding centres for domestic elephants. In fact the beginnings of the misuse of this unique institution began several years ago with the frequent gifting of elephants from it to temples and devales, by presidents, prime ministers and others. Today this misuse is accelerated with conspiracies and plans by politicians, even Cabinet ministers, powerful bureaucrats, private elephant owners and others wanting to get elephants from this state-run refuge.
Many had pinned their hopes on the Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources to safeguard this refuge, preserve its aims, and prevent the plunder of its elephants. However, it is unfortunate that the minister is himself allowing the flow of baby elephants from the Pinnawela orphanage to politicians and temples.
Even worse is that unknown to the public, a Cabinet decision initiated by the minister himself has been taken about six months ago allowing the sale of elephants of the Pinnawela orphanage to private individuals. The price of the elephants is to be decided by the ministry. Elephants will also be sold in some instances by tender procedure. These procedures should be widely publicized to ensure they do not flout judicial decisions regarding the transfer of the ownership of elephants. This Cabinet decision takes the elephants at Pinnawela Orphanage totally off state protection, making them vulnerable to becoming the private property of individuals and paving the way for the total dismantling of this unique institution.
It is unfortunate that the minister, who is also the Minister for Wildlife Conservation, looks on the Pinnawela orphanage merely as a holding place of elephants and considers the important task before him to be giving away its elephants to private individuals and temples. The minister has overlooked the fact that Pinnawela is primarily about providing refuge to elephants, particularly baby elephants displaced and injured in the human/elephant conflict. At a time when the department of Wildlife Conservation is doing virtually nothing for the protection and conservation of elephants in the unprotected areas and the death toll of elephants is hitting a new high, it is shocking that the minister should cause the dismantling of the Pinnawela elephant orphanage.
Few people know the truth about Pinnawela. Knowing its aims, how it is managed and treats its elephants will help people to see that the Pinnawela orphanage is indeed a national asset that ought to be saved from being plundered by private individuals. Set up in 1975, Pinnawela introduced to the world the concept of a refuge for orphaned, displaced and injured baby elephants of the wild. True to the ideal of an orphanage and refuge, the elephants here are not made to work for their keep. The other goal of developing it as a breeding centre has had a good measure of success with a record of 22 baby elephants born since its inception. Even today some of the females in the orphanage are pregnant. Pinnawela is also a major tourist attraction earning huge sums of foreign exchange for the country.
A favourite criticism of Pinnawela by those casting eyes on its elephants is that it has far too many elephants for its capacity. There are 64 elephants at Pinnawela on 23 acres of land of which 21 acres are fully available for them, providing these elephants with ample roaming area, and allowing them to enjoy a life of freedom and relaxation. This area includes a large tank while a river runs through a part of it, providing ample water for the elephants. The elephants of the orphanage are not kept tethered or chained (except a few cases sometimes for very special reasons) but move about and roam freely while the elephant keepers move closely with them. This is much more than can be said about the environment afforded to most of the privately owned elephants that are sent from place to place on work. Very often these elephants are kept chained and tethered in one spot. Sadly even the elephants kept in some temples are tethered at one spot with a small plastic sheet for protection from the sun.
The other criticism is that a highly inflammable situation prevails at Pinnawela because there are more bull elephants than cows among the herd. This is said to have led to very aggressive and uncontrollable behaviour among males especially during the period of musth. The truth is quite different. Life has gone on peacefully with the elephants at Pinnawela up to now. Although it is true it has more bulls than cows, a simple fact these pundits who foretell doom have failed understand is that the bulls are of different ages and do not all come to musth at the same time. Only about four animals come into musth every year at Pinnawela and when it occurs, they are kept secured, safely away from the rest. In fact we understand that there has not been a single instance at Pinnawela where an elephant being in musth has led to any dangerous situation.
On the other hand several killings of mahouts and humans by privately owned elephants have been attributed to elephants being in musth and not kept secured early enough.
No better acknowledgement of the success of the Pinnawela orphanage is required than the commendation of the orphanage by the Viennese specialists on elephants, who held a workshop recently for veterinarians of the National Zoological Gardens and the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, among others. These specialists had found the elephants of the Pinnawela orphanage to be in excellent health, and free of stress and skin ailments, and said these elephants fared very well when compared with elephant refuges in other countries. They had specially commended the freedom of movement afforded to the elephants at Pinnawela
Very few private individuals and temples owning elephants have recognized the part they must play in the conservation of elephants outside their forest habitat, providing them with a near-natural environment. Instead of waiting for the state to deliver elephants to their doorsteps, through the years they ought to have made serious efforts to carry out breeding programmes amongst the elephants of the community of private owners. In fact the Pinnawela elephant orphanage has always offered private owners the services of their elephants and their expertise to carry out breeding programmes, which they have not cared to avail themselves of.
Until recently private elephant owners had bestowed on themselves the role of self-appointed custodians of tradition where they are supposed to ensure the temples of elephants for religious processions and ritual. From this self-assumed position they have been demanding elephants from the state-run refuge at Pinnawela and even the Transit Home for Elephants at Uda Walawe. Regretfully, elephant owners are fully supported in these efforts by temples interested in obtaining elephants through them and their political backing. However, with the increasing exposure of the cruelties inflicted on privately owned elephants, including those owned by temples, more people are now aware of this pseudo-religious role of private owners, and want the Pinnawela elephants safeguarded from them. If private elephant owners wish to accrue merit through the supply of elephants for religious rituals it is left to them to import elephants at their own cost and not get them at the cheap from Pinnawela.
As wrongly made out by private owners, no one is interested in preventing the use of elephants in temple processions, particularly the magnificient Kandy Dalada Perahera. It is the view of conservationists and animal rights groups that if the number of elephants available among private owners and temples is insufficient, then let them use the elephants at Pinnawela, a proposal that the management of Pinnawela we understand, is most willing to take up. As for training the elephants to participate in processions, the Pinnawela orphanage is a place where the elephants are properly and scientifically managed, so this would prove no problem.
The minister must heed the wishes of conservationists, NGOs representing peoples’ views and the media that is highlighting the threat to Pinnawela by private owners backed by politicians. It is not too late for the minister to stop thinking of playing the role of a Vessantara regarding the Pinnawela Elephants and handing them to private owners who like the cruel and crafty "Juthaka bamuna" in the Jataka tale are waiting to take these majestic beasts away from the life of freedom and dignity they lead at Pinnawela, to one of exploitation and slavery.
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