Holding pen for naughty jumbos

Veheragala Elephant Holding Ground:

Kappang kaaraya (the ransom demander), otherwise known as 'beggar' would put its trunk on the shoulder of an innocent and unsuspecting person with a fruit basket full of offerings to the God - on their way to Habarana Dewala - and gently sway him or her till that person decides to give in and let him have what he came for, out of sheer terror.

Almost always the 'beggar' would be content and leave with the offering of a fruit or a sweet.

A model posing as Kappan Karaya

Well that was simply it. The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) simply had it with Kappang Kaaraya, Beggar, Sarath or whatever his name was. There was no way they would let an elephant get the better of human beings, threatening them for offerings of fruit and sweets.

He spends his days now in the Veheragala holding ground for elephants.

This 12 square km expanse - officially opened on January 11, 2009 - is a maximum security penitentiary for naughty jumbos. With trenches to prevent escape and electric fences to separate wild animals from the held elephants to facilitate 'solitary confinement', this is one facility even Michael Scofield would find hard to escape, let alone Jumbo! P. M. Dharmatilake, Deputy Director, DWC revealed that the renovated irrigation system under the Veheragala project has increased the ground water table, creating a favourable environment for the animals.

It is hoped that the 12 km irrigation system would be extended to 65 km within this year.

The human-elephant conflict is probably as old as development itself.

As land requirements increase people build houses in elephant habitats or directly on their migration paths, in which case conflicts are inevitable.

The only solution for this problem so far has been to translocate elephants. But it is a well known fact that elephants return to the same spot year after year even after translocation.

Translocation of an elephant only translocates the problem. An adult male that is relocated due to its' behaviour, will cause trouble wherever it goes. The idea of an elephant holding ground is to relocate not only the elephant but the problem as well.

"There are 11 elephants in the holding ground at the moment" says P. M. Dharmatilake and ensures that they are still in their best of spirits. I hope you are pondering over your crimes in solitary confinement Jumbo.