Opinion

Elephant in the room:

18 Dec 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Villagers can touch it, literally

I have begun to dislike elephants. My fellow villagers have the same sentiment about the menacing elephants in and around our village. I have no doubt you will see the rational of our position in this regard.

After the aggressive elephant conservation efforts launched decades ago, there is evidence that the effort has delivered the intended results. Elephant population has nearly doubled creating unintended consequences, most conspicuous being the polarized burden it exerts on the residents in remote villages. This is particularly true in communities in the periphery of large of forested areas e.g. catchment areas of large reservoirs like Mahakanadarawa wewa. The village has become the forgotten spectator as we celebrate the revival of elephant population in Sri Lanka. Composite effect of the government and interested NGOs have been to care of the elephants at the expense of them. I wrote the book on elephants, Pulse of the Jungle (Vishvalekha 2000), an account of human-elephant conflict existed in early 20th century Nuwarakalawiya. A chapter in my Echoes of the Millstone (CreateSpace 2014) chronicles the demise of Mahakanadarawa tusker in mid-50s as a result of too many elephants coming in to contact with our day to day life. My feature article in Daily News, a letter from the matriarch to Suduhuras of elephant conference in Colombo chronicles the hazards of her march from Padaviya to Minneriya.

After the aggressive elephant conservation efforts launched decades ago, there is evidence that the effort has delivered the intended results.

Tourists flocking to parks to see the spectacle of elephant herds are only helping to fatten the coffers of the tourist industry. No one has shown slightest concern about the plight of the villager. The story I see and hear now is one of terror by elephants in the villages where transport is still on gravel roads, and teacher – student ratio at the village school stands at nearly one to one. We counted 38 elephants below our paddy fields. Since 1959 when the Mahakanadarawa wewa was restored, we have never seen large elephant herds like this. Just a few nights ago in the small living rooms at Maradankalla and Karadikkulama in the headwaters of Mahakanadarawa, we sat in terror while elephants numbering 15 systemically uprooted the banana trees and young coconut saplings in the garden. They were roaring as Ali Dong crackers exploded disrupting their dinner. Villagers believe the government’s view on elephants reflects a state of ignorance and lack of balanced understanding of the problem. Government created this problem which has gone out of control. Government is failing to understand that Sri Lanka does not have the luxury of boundless space to experiment with elephant-human relationship.

Ideas for thought
Thus, villagers put forward interesting ideas and home grown solutions.
1. We have to tinker existing models elsewhere such as culling of elephants in Africa to fit into our needs. We have to reduce the elephant population to keep up with the increase of human population in coming decades.

2. Just as tourism brings in money, we must think of exporting elephants to interested zoos around the globe. Instead of gifting, perhaps asking reasonable compensation (to be used in elephant-human conflict resolutions) is not a bad idea.

3. Increase the number of permit holders who like to own elephants.

4. Expand the electrical fence programmes to the villages that border the traditional elephant corridors outside the parks. We see mock ropes hanging on some idikadulla of gardens – a homegrown method to trick and scare the elephants. Why Idikadulla? Elephants own the gravel road in front of the house from the time sun goes down!

5. Fine anyone including tour operators heavily, who feed wild elephants and sometimes engage in activities intended to anger them along rural stretches of some roads.

6. A universal insurance programme paid for by entities benefited from increase of elephant population. If one party of a conflict is immune to liabilities (transgressing elephants) and harassing impediment to welfare of the other, then the other party (villager) should be compensated in equal terms. An insurance program is one way to do it.

7. Issue non-lethal weapons like stunguns or teaser guns or any electronic paralyser to select villagers and they can release long range electrical pulses to stun the elephants when they come near the house. Fund universities to develop such non-lethal devices.

8. Stop relocating elephants. It is simply dumping the burden from one community to another equally distressed and forgotten community. Just a few days ago, around 10.45pm at Seeppukulama on A12, I saw a large truck transporting an elephant with two vehicles escorting the entourage. I am certain this is not a tame elephant. If it was, I am at loss to explain why it couldn’t wait for a few hours until daylight to be transported to the owner’s compound.

9. Prohibit large scale forest clearing for corn planting. This practice has replaced the traditional small hena plots which had been on a downward path during the last few decades.

The authorities must act quickly to resolve this problem before it becomes a national shame as remote villages are becoming pawns to the so called economic benefits to an industry. We have to live within our means – elephant population must fit into the available forest cover.

Writer lives both at Maradankalla and Los Angeles.

Opinion

Elephant in the room:

Most Popular Articles

How far does the political-underworld nexus extend in Sri Lanka?

Why Countries Are Banning Children from Social Media and What It Means for Sri Lanka

The narrowing window: Small-state agency in an age of multipolar scenario

Detention Rights: Sri Lanka and the United States

Economic growth is not the only measure of human development

Chemmani still holds our attention

Latest News

India to tour Sri Lanka for two-test series in August

Dengue outbreak shuts Colombo Visual and Performing Arts University

Boy driving pickup truck crashes into group of Thai monks, killing 8

Sajith Premadasa congratulates Communist Party of China on 105th anniversary

Withholding A/L results of Muslim candidates over hijab violated fundamental rights: HRCSL