Elephants an attraction and pride to Sri Lanka

by Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

A stunningly rich island, a haven to many a traveller and tourist is our Lassana Sri Lanka which has much to offer. Among the many attractions are the wonderful elephants in Sri Lanka, a passion which runs deep down for long ages.

Sri Lankan elephants known as Aliya (tusker) by local people and the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus maximus) are one of the few remaining mega-herbivores in the world constituting to around seven per cent of the global elephant population.

The most loved animal by Sri Lankans, fascinating in its behaviour, of national value is one of Sri Lanka's biggest tourist attractions even today. If you are a wildlife enthusiast making a trip to Pinnawala is a fascinating experience one should not miss out on.

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is of course the first of its kind in the world, a unique place where abandoned and even disabled elephants get lot of care and protection making it one of the world's best elephant breeding centers as well.

Getting to Pinnawela before 10 a.m. is important as it is at this time that all the activities begin. Availing yourself of the opportunity you could get a closer look at the elephants if you relax by the river, indulge in chatting with the mahouts and observer the elephants bathe, play and interact with each other as well as with human beings.

Indulging in a conversation with mahouts would prove to be very informative too as they would tell you all you want to know about elephant habitat. A cap or parasol is an absolute must as the scorching hot sun is unbearable.

If you are however interested in looking for the aliyas in the wild then the best bet is to go over to the Yala National Park, Udawalawe, Habarana, Dambulla, Sigiriya, Wasgamuwa, Galoya, or Thanamalwila.

The Minneriya National Park, is another wonderful location to observer elephants. A hot spot for wildlife lovers, Minneriya is famous for two things,for the great Minneriya tank built by King Mahasena in the third century AD as well as its wildlife.

During the dry season (June to September), this tank is an incredible place to observe the elephants who come in huge flocks to bathe and graze around. This is about the best time to go over to Minneriya in my opinion. The safaris are a great opportunity to explore.

Apart from this aspect, elephants have also drawn the attention of everyone who visits Sri Lanka as they have been the main attractions of Sri Lankan religious festivals as well. In an essentially Buddhist culture, with a rich and exotic variety of wildlife and a long tradition of conservation rooted in its 2,230 year old Buddhist civilisation, elephants have been considered a divine animal.

To witness the uniqueness of the role played by elephants in this aspect make a trip to Kandy and make sure you witness the Kandy Perehera or any of the pereheras where you would see about hundred decorated elephants parade among dancers and drummers carrying caskets containing sacred relics in procession.

The pereheras are the most colourful pageants and have been conducted for over 2500 years, a kaleidoscope of colour and Asia's biggest cultural happening for over 1000 years.

Significantly, in Sri Lanka no other animal has been associated for so long with the people in their traditional and religious activities as the elephant. The association dates back to the pre-Christian era, more than 5,000 years when ancient Sinhalese kings captured and tamed elephants .

Elephants, today still take part in ceremonial, cultural and religious pageants and processions. Elephants have been used by man in his wars in Europe and Asia. They have assisted man in his logging operations and construction works.

In Sri Lanka the variations in physical appearance amongst elephants were noticed and recorded in ancient Sinhala manuscripts. There are ten such groups or "castes". These differences do not seem important now.

The first record of the association between man and elephant in Sri Lanka was recorded in the 1st Century BC on an inscription at Navalar Kulam in Panama Pattu in the Eastern Province and the ruins of the ancient cities in Sri Lanka abound with carvings of elephants in many forms, attesting the close association between man and elephant.

Sinhala literature of the 3rd Century BC indicates that the state elephant or Mangalahatti was the elephant on which the king rode while in the 12th Century inscription on a stone seat at Polonnaruwa it is recorded that King Nissanka Malla sat upon it while watching elephant fights.

These fights were staged for the entertainment of nobles. The first description of the capture of elephants in 40 AD was by Pliny. Here, the information that he gathered was from the Sinhalese ambassador to the court of the Emperor Claudius. Hence, the importance and significance of the elephant in Sri Lanka.

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