|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Redeveloping Pinnawela Text and photos by Rohan Canagasabey Mention the word Pinnawela, and the image of semi-wild elephants amidst a relatively serene setting spring to mind. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is located just past Kegalle on a side road off the Colombo-Kandy road. Its increasing popularity, both in terms of human visitors and orphaned or injured elephants being sent there, has resulted in a somewhat haphazard expansion.
Brigadier H.A.N.T. Perera, better known in his role as the Director of Dehiwela Zoo, spoke to me recently about the plans he is overseeing to redevelop Pinnawela. The redevelopment by the governments' Department of Zoology, is slated for completion in 2006, and involves a whole host of new facilities, to make it more visitor-orientated and also more amenable to its elephant population. It is also intended to place an emphasis on safety, in visitor-elephant interaction, as well as providing research facilities for local and foreign conservation scientists. The entrance to Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, is at a junction "amidst several souvenir shops, and very cumbersome for visitors" said Perera, "and therefore it is being shifted", pointing to a spot about 50 metres along the roadside wall, where the trees had already been cleared. To create a better first impression, visitors will pass a "majestic sculptured monument" in entering the elephant orphanage, "where there will be a vehicle park within its premises", said Brigadier Perera, adding that, instead of the sole restaurant on offer today, there will be a few more, as well as tea/coffee shops, souvenir shops and waiting areas.
Subsequently visitors will be initially directed to a new Education centre, which will have a small museum and the facility to view related videos and essentially facilitate gaining some knowledge about the elephant and wildlife in general, said Perera. One of the main attractions to visitors of Pinnawela, locals and foreigners alike, is the feeding of the baby elephants. This is presently done in a rectangular shed, about 100 metres from the entrance to the premises, where visitors have to jostle to view the action. Perera highlighted that the redevelopment plans under way, envisage a new circular arena, where the baby elephants will be brought to the centre of the amphitheatre for feeding. Not quite the Roman amphitheatres where gladiators fought with lions and each other, but probably a more comfortable facility from which to enjoy the spectacle of baby elephants being fed with large milk bottles and edible parts of trees for the older ones. Main attractions Another of the pleasures, or scariest aspects, of visiting Pinnawela, depending on your perspective, is the opportunity to be up close with the elephants in an open area, towards the end of the elephant orphanage's acres of space. Whilst the mahouts are there to keep watch, should an elephant suddenly go berserk, - possible during the male species' annual musth season, when hormonal changes take place - there is nothing to really prevent injury to visitors, or worse. Perera pointed out however, "fortunately this had not occurred so far". In order to maintain this safety record, the redevelopment plans include new observation platforms, with adjacent restaurants, catering to different tastes and prices, in an elevated position near the present visitor-elephant interaction area. So in the future, one could sip a cup of tea, down a glass of beer, or be tucking into rice and curry, while watching the elephants down below. And the elephants themselves will be induced to be within almost smelling distance, with the creation of an artificial lake, which at present is "50% complete" said Perera, adding that "the elephants can enjoy mud baths there". The creation of the small lake though, requiring sluice gates, an anicut and bund, is not much more than two muddy pools of water now. The procession of elephants to the river across the road will also continue, thus enabling visitors to continue to enjoy the spectacle of the elephants bathing in a natural setting. A secure environment Speaking further about creating a more secure environment for Pinnawela's elephants, Brigadier Perera said that the elephants would be tethered at night in the newly built sheds and unchained at dawn. This would prevent the rare occurrences in the past, where elephants, mostly young ones, have gone on jaunts outside the premises. Moreover, in terms of visitor safety, elephants in musth will not be allowed near visitors during this annual, months-long period, when they can be highly agitated. The landscape of Pinnawela itself is changing, with reforestation of denuded areas, already partially completed. An elephant "hospital", if that is the right word, will also be built to ensure the well-being of the resident elephant population. Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage has also gained an international reputation, resulting in several requests by foreign conservation scientists to carry out research there, but at present there are no facilities to host research scientists. This will be changing, as Perera, gesturing to a map on the wall of the administrative office building there, said that as part of the redevelopment plans, a new facility will be especially built to cater to the needs of researchers, where they can also be accommodated for a few days. Thus further enhancing Pinnawela international reputation. The redeveloped Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage will no doubt be worth a visit, when it opens in late 2006, as it all adds up to a more safe and enjoyable experience for visitors to Pinnawela, plus a better environment for its elephant population. Though the scheduled opening date assumes that the usual Sri Lankan malaise of delays does not begin to set in. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
