Hiyare hospital for wild animals

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

It is precisely a novel concept. The first exclusive hospital in Sri Lanka for wild animals has been established in Hiyare Bio-diversity centre within the limits of Galle municipal council.

The hospital possesses as an integral part, an array of special facilities for the injured or otherwise disabled wild animals.

It is equipped with a theatre for surgical operations on seriously wounded wild animals and a number of cages for other animals threatened with certain danger in forests and jungles.

Moreover, the hospital is blessed with a well qualified veterinary surgeon who stays poised to treat diseased or jeopardised wild animals at any moment.

This unprecedented massive project, under the stewardship of Galle Wildlife Conservation Association, has been duly funded by Nation's Trust Bank. They further expect to launch multiple projects which will guarantee the welfare of wild animals. This is indeed good news for nature lovers who are constantly plagued by fears of looming possibility of extinction of wild animals, specially in fast decreasing patches of Sri Lanka's jungles.

Why it is necessary

Such a hospital paradoxically is an unmistakable achievement in the elevation and preservation of Bio-diversity in Sri Lanka. Man still displays his primitive barbarism in his fervour for harming or hunting wild animals threatened with accelerated extinction.

Man, in addition, clears jungles and brutally deprives wild animals of their natural habitats.

This unnatural process ultimately breaks all laws of man's coexistence with nature and leads to an uninterrupted and irreversible clash between man and animals.

With the notable exception of Eth Athuru Sevana at Udawalawa, there has been no such place or institution which affords enough security for and nurses or looks after wild animals brought into peril either naturally or by man's involvement.

The Udawalawa Eth Athuru Sevana has been thus far meant to be a sanctuary, rather a nature reserve for wild life but it predominantly cares for wild elephants left orphaned.

To all intents and purposes, it acts as an absolute sanctuary for elephants but the noticeable absence of a hospital, - a safe haven for injured and vulnerable wild animals, has been sharply felt in the spheres of wild life conservation.

Sri Lanka's Bio-diversity - an ideal recipe for tourist attraction, must be safeguarded as a priceless legacy for future generations. Under the circumstances, a hospital for wild animals will definitely account for a broader life expectancy for wild animals that are being attacked, injured or harmed to premature death.

An Association for wildlife conservation

The Galle Wildlife Conservation Association commenced by some school students at the premises of Hiyare reservoir in 1993 is the prelude to the hospital for wild animals.

Thus the Hiyare reservoir and its premises gradually became the focal point of researches conducted on Bio-diversity of Sri Lanka.

The Hiyare reservoir was constructed by D.J. Wimalasurendra, the engineer in the Galle Municipal Council to provide potable water for the city. Though the water supply subsequently discontinued, the reservoir and the surrounding area emerged to be an ideal region for varying research and studies on Bio-diversity.

Lionel Premasiri, an ex-Mayor of Galle, provided equipment for the research work of Galle Wildlife Conservation Association and even reserved the Hiyare reservoir for the use of the researchers at work. Later the Mayor of Galle inaugurated a botanical garden in the premises of Hiyare reservoir which in turn became the centre for Bio-diversity studies. From then on, the Galle Wildlife conservation Association has successfully been implementing programs to inform the public about different aspects of Bio-diversity.

Accordingly, Hiyare reservoir became the focus of researcher's attention both local and foreign.

The challenge answered

Usually the officials of wildlife office are faced with the challenge of treating or nursing a particular animal injured or diseased within the region in their charge. They often find it highly problematic because of the lack of a proper place where a doctor can administer treatment for the injured wild animal and keep it for such a long time as it needs to recover.

The self same challenge was encountered by the officials of wildlife office of Hikkaduwa who had to take any injured animal to wherever satisfactory medical treatment could be conveniently administered to it. Although they had a surgeon to treat the injured or diseased wild animal, they were at a disadvantage in having an appropriate place where the animal could be kept until recovery.

Therefore, the officials of wildlife conservation Department were careful to bring such wild animals to the Centre for Bio- diversity Studies - Hiyare for optimal protection. Such wild animals were properly cared for and treated by the responsible members of Galle Wildlife Conservation Association. The new mission to guarantee the welfare of injured or diseased wild animals was adequately supported by wildlife researchers and nature lovers in the association.

Wild animals safe

It is most important to note that the hospital is strictly meant for treating injured, diseased or otherwise disabled wild animals. Domestic animals such as dogs, cats, cattle or pet birds, as the hospital personnel claim, are not treated in the hospital. Methsiri de Silva, the mayor of Galle comments.

''I am highly proud to announce that the first wildlife hospital in Sri Lanka has been from the city of Galle.

We observe that our own activities have detrimentally affected the wild animals.

Sri Lanka is a complete example for Bio-diversity. Some development projects may affect the Bio-diversity. But we need such development projects.

Though they are bound to put wild animals in trouble. But now we are better able to save injured wild animals because this hospital for wild animals is ever prepared to cope successfully with the challenge..."

''Now we are able to treat the injured wild animals properly and release them into the jungle once they have recovered.

Our team in the hospital face many difficulties in dealing with the injured wild animals because it is extremely difficult to keep different species of injured animals together in a cage. In spite of all this, the hospital staff is doing a praiseworthy job in handling, and releasing wild animals into jungles after recovery.

The deer with walking difficulties, blind monkeys, snakes unable to swallow prey, and hawks unable to fly are being properly treated at the hospital at Hiyare ..."

The young staff of Hiyare hospital have brought pigs, monkeys, porcupines, owls, snakes, hawks and crocodiles to the hospital for treatment and released them to the jungles after successful recovery.

It is pathetic to note that a few of the animals, while being brought to the hospital, succumb to their injuries. Once officers of wild life conservation office, captured a female crocodile who was beginning to pose a serious threat to the villagers owing to her eggs. The hospital took steps to release the crocodile into the Udawalawa nature reserve and released the young, hatched out of her eggs, into protective places.

Apart from that, a female python with eggs, was once under the peril of being killed by the villagers but with the intervention of the hospital, the python was released and the eggs were hatched in the hospital itself.

"Whenever the Wildlife Office of Hikkaduwa received information about injured animals, they make necessary arrangements to bring such animals to this hospital. Earlier, with the inception of Hiyare Bio-diversity centre, we received much information about different cases of injured animals from various parts of the country.

The sole responsibility of our hospital is to provide proper security and heal the animals in danger before they are released to the jungle.

The Mayor of Galle offered immense support in the project of building the hospital ..."

''The hospital carried out surgical operations on injured Pangolins, fawns and owls and the operations were highly successful. However, Wildlife Department, Mr. Methsiri de Silva the Mayor of Galle Municipal Council, members of G.W.C.A, Lionel Premasiri, Mohommed Arif, and Faus Niyaz supported this worthy cause..."

The Galle Wild Life conservation Association claims that the trend for wild animals being raised in houses and temples is illegal but the association is ready to treat such animals and to release them to jungle.

This is truly the biggest environmental mission. Such hospitals for wild animals should be established in other districts as well, as a giant step forward in promoting Sri Lanka's Bio-diversity. The concept of hospitals for wild animals is an effective eye opener for environmentalists and the very concept leaves something for us Sri Lankans to ponder about.