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| Sunday, 7 May 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Jumbos roam home by Nihal P. Abeysinghe It was a busy day at the Ath Athuru Sevana of the Udawalawa National Park. Little elephants that had been brought up in the shelter were being released into the Udawalawa jungle, at an area known as Sinukgala.
The occasion brought happiness as well as sadness to the employees of the elephant shelter; sadness as they were letting go of the baby jumbos that they had brought up with love and care, and happiness because those animals were finally going home. The nine jumbos that were to be released on this occasion were herded into Wildlife Department trucks around 5.00am. The first to go on board was six-year-old Pasi, who had been living there for the last five years. It was followed by Janbo, Nita, Tharaka, Wellington, Toledo, Mana, Cobus and Mihithali. Before they were released, they were fixed with collars with sensory equipment. These equipment, operational within a two-three kilometre area, would alert wildlife officials as to the location of the elephants.
Ath Athuru Sevana was set up on October 6, 1995, and is one of the first and only such elephant shelters in the world. It was initiated under the patronage of Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, under the organisation of former Deputy Director, Wildlife Conservation Department, Dr Nandana Atapattu. The shelter is situated in a 200 acre land, close to the main office of the Udawalawa National Park. Its main objective is to care for and bring up baby jumbos, which have been injured or abandoned in the jungles, until they can be reintroduced into the wilds. During war times, many elephants with injuries were brought into the place, of which the first one was named Komali. The first batch of four animals was released in 1998. Over 45 elephants have so far been released into the wilds on over five different occasions. The Ath Athuru Sevana is currently home to 35 little elephants, the highest number of such elephants living free.
Udawalawa, therefore, is the best place to go, to observe elephants, and the Wildlife Conservation Department doesn't charge for this either. Under the initiative of Dr Atapattu, a foster parent scheme, which seeks the assistance of animal lovers to bring up the baby jumbos, was launched in 2000. The pachyderms released recently had also been brought up under this scheme. You too can help the Wildlife Department to protect the dwindling
elephant population of this country. Let them know what you think on
0112696050. |
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