Four elephants killed by train

A passenger train hit and killed an elephant and three calves in the northern Sri Lanka on August 17, the latest deadly accident involving these venerated animals.

What a tragic incident. We are a country trying to develop tourism but just see what is happening.

The herd was walking across a newly upgraded railway line that runs through a jungle area when the accident occurred at Cheddikulam in Vavuniya.

One of the baby elephants was dragged about 300 metres along the track after being hit by the train. Some villagers had seen the incident.

The track in the jungle was made by humans and not by elephants. Is it a correct decision?

Have we taken any precautions to protect the animals? We are only worried about our facilities and our comforts. We want to watch wild animals for entertainment and to earn money from tourists.

We have seminars about animal protection and animal rights. We write books on elephants in Sri Lanka, but this is the ground situation.

What are our politicians, wildlife directors and experts doing?

Since either side of the track where the incident occurred is straight, the driver could have seen clearly the herd of elephants crossing the track.

Eight days ago another elephant and her calf were knocked down by the train at Medawachchiya. This is the country’s worst accident involving the animals.

Although elephants are considered sacred by the people of Sri Lanka, and are legally protected, nearly 200 are killed every year.

Many elephants are killed by farmers when the elephants stray into their land. Our elephant population was 12,000 in 1,900. At present it has gone down to 7,000.

The Railway Department has requested the Wild Life Department to deploy a wild life officer to travel in the engine who will assist the engine driver to slow down at frequent elephant passes. But nothing has happened so far.

Where are the animal lovers? We preach to be compassionate to all human beings. Are there animal welfare associations? Where are the people who shout about protection of animals?

A newspaper report says that there was no damage to the train. The delay was only a few minutes. So they are happy about the situation.

Is it that we are not worried about the deaths of the innocent animals.

Let us get together and try to protect our wildlife.

D. Weeratunga
Nugegoda

Elephantine gift

I was amused at the fracas the so-called ‘activists’ are making over the gifting of an elephant to the Zoo in Auckland, New Zealand.

First of all, do these ‘activists’ have the faintest idea of how many elephants have been killed by accidents and by our villagers? What steps have they taken to prevent them? Have they petitioned the courts to intervene and prevent the butchery of these animals which may face extinction?

Before interfering and objecting to an elephant being gifted to a far better equipped zoo, they should accept the pathetic situation prevailing in their own country with regard to these helpless pachyderms.

Any animal lover will agree that an animal is best placed in its own environment. Sadly, the predicament faced by our elephant population is reportedly critical.

The concept of a zoo was to give man a close-up to animals it has never seen.

Undoubtedly, everyone found it a thrilling experience although very few gave thought to the poor animals in restricted cages and boundaries.

Zoos were also used to study animals and their behaviour etc although they do not behave in captivity the way they do in freedom.

While Zoos were considered fine at a time, with the development of the internet, every known animal in the world is brought visually into our living rooms via TV.

During the past regime, when elephant calves were being abducted and separated from their mothers to be kept in the backyards of homes and temples, and when businessmen close to powerful politicians established their own private zoos, these ‘activists’ were asleep! Now they have emerged from the woodwork to waste tax prayer’s money in litigation.

Have these ‘activists’ petitioned the courts over the pitiable state of our own Zoo and the treatment towards elephants? Time and again, the media has highlighted the woeful conditions of the animals in our zoo.

The gifting of an animal or any species not available in that country has been a traditional act of friendship between countries.

For instance, China has been gifting the very rare pandas to other countries.

At this juncture, the gifting of the elephant to the Auckland Zoo is an act of mercy to the lucky animal which may not survive in our country at the rate elephants perish here.

Perhaps it is that elephant’s good fortune or ‘karma’ as we say in Buddhism.

R de Silva,
Dehiwala.

Will Lankan VIPs follow the Swedish Minister’s example?

I appreciate Sweden’s youngest Minister of Education for Secondary and Adult education, Aida Hadzialic’s resignation after she had been caught driving under the influence of liquor. Her gesture of admitting the offence and abiding by the country’s law is admirable, exemplary and praiseworthy for other VIPs to follow, especially Sri Lankans.

The Minister was stopped by the police while driving in the southern city of Malmo in Sweden and tests showed she had an alcohol level of 0.2 grams per litre of blood .She had accepted the mistake and resigned from her portfolio.

If such a thing had happened in Sri Lanka, the Minister concerned would have definitely slapped the police officer who caught him and driven off and on the following day the police officer would have been transferred or dismissed from service.

Such a pathetic situation still prevails In our country. Not merely Ministers, drivers and motor cyclists go on the streets under the influence of liquor. Recently an SLTB bus driver who was under the influence of liquor had killed a pedestrian .

Hence I earnestly request the authorities to enact stringent laws to prevent drivers consuming liquor while they are on the wheel and take steps to control such incidents, not stop the consumption of liquor, which cannot be done overnight or immediately in Sri Lanka!

Z.A.M.Shukoor
Aranayaka