A nation where animals are valued ahead of humans! - EDITORIAL

At the rate at which the human-elephant conflict has escalated, Sri Lankans get to hear of at least one human death every month which is caused by an elephant strike. Just the other day, an 84-year-old woman was killed by an elephant in Eppawala. According to news reports, the woman was attacked inside her garden. 

In Sinhalese mythology, we hear of stories that it’s auspicious to see an elephant walking towards you on the street. We are talking about domesticated elephants here, mind you. But there is nothing auspicious when a wild jumbo strikes you down or causes damage to your field. When one browses through the country’s laws, it seems that the ones existing are more favourable to wild animals than to humans. 

A classic example for this is when several villagers were arrested in Kilinochchi in 2019 when they killed a leopard that had strayed into human habitat. The same happens when an elephant, who damages an agriculture plot, is killed. On such occasions the people, involved in the incident, are quickly named as perpetrators. Arrests are made and fines are imposed. On occasions when a ‘human death’ occurs due to an elephant attack, compensation paid reaches a maximum of Rupees one million. Is a human life worth so little? 

Sri Lankan authorities over the years have taken giant steps to tighten laws in a bid to quell the present destruction happening to certain animals, valuable plants and trees. But has enough laws been brought in to protect Sri Lankans, who are living in the borders of wildlife sanctuaries? 

When one sees domesticated elephants in chains we are irked. Something isn’t quite right when a member from an aristocratic family boasts of raring an elephant in his large garden. But these elephants in captivity are well fed and solidly looked after; some of them even being paraded in the island’s most celebrated pageants. But would these aristocratic individuals invite into their homes and feed some of the less affluent citizens of this country? The answer would be a big no! This is just an example that some people would do anything for an elephant and not for a human being in need. 

Laws always protect animals in this scenario and not humans. In 2023 alone as many as 470 elephants died and half of them were due to the result of human activities. According to a report published in ‘harbinger’s magazine’ ‘Sri Lanka has the highest number of elephant deaths in the world which are related to the Human Elephant Conflict. 

It is in this same country where the human-elephant conflict has escalated that tourists from other nations are invited to explore our wildlife attractions. ‘Forbes’ magazine named Sri Lanka as the best country to explore wildlife, outside Africa. Wow! But that wow factor is missing when we hear about the pathetic situation of villagers who complain that their harvest is being destroyed by wild elephants. 

True enough, we have come to know that past governments have spent as much as Rupees 490 million on building electric fences in areas where the human-elephant conflict brings so much sad news pertaining to death and destruction. 

Some years ago, a group of artistes returning after a successful show, held in a rural area famous for its huge elephant population, decided to get down from the vehicle in the dead of night and do a dance rehearsal on the middle of the road. By the time the rehearsal was at its peak, there were vehicles parked in front and behind of what could be described a mini-drama taking place on the road. Interestingly this location that the artistes chose to perform a quick rehearsal happened to be an elephant corridor. Luckily no elephants chose to cross the road to the other side of the jungle at that time. All in lighter vein, there is a joke doing the rounds that the elephants in the area had complained to the police the next day that humans had blocked their ‘corridor’ at night. 

We must change the culture of being nation which laughs when tears should be shed and vice versa!