Back to the wild!
News from our Sri Lankan friend and colleague Srilal Miththapala on a project to dehabilitate several once wild orphaned eles.
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Hi John
Last Saturday 8 juvenile orphaned elephants who had been rehabilitated at the elephant transit home at Uda Walawe national park were released back into the wild.
Some pics to share with you
Srilal
www.srilankaelephant.com
www.serendibleisure.com
____________________________________________
Hi John
Last Saturday 8 juvenile orphaned elephants who had been rehabilitated at the elephant transit home at Uda Walawe national park were released back into the wild.
Some pics to share with you
Srilal
www.srilankaelephant.com
www.serendibleisure.com
Media Release
Tears of Love – The Elephant Transit Home at
Sri Lanka Tourism in bid to woo more tourists for unique events
June 14th, 2008 became a memorable day in Sri Lankan elephant history. Eight baby elephants were released to the , ending their sojourn at the Elephant Transit Home.
Sri Lanka Tourism in its efforts to promote ecotourism in the country yesterday joined hands with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources releasing 8 baby elephants to the wild.
The Elephant Transit Home is a rehabilitation centre, a hospital, a spiritual healing centre, and a trauma recovery centre, all combined into one. Baby elephants are brought here from all parts of Sri Lanka . They are found with gun shot injuries, trapped in wells, sick, or in near death conditions. Usually a villager, security forces, or the wildlife department rescues the jumbo from the wilderness and hands over the orphan to the proper authorities.
Overseas as well as local tourists, wildlife enthusiasts, curious individuals from all disciplines, and an entourage of local and international media attended the event. The elephants seemed rather perplexed by all the attention they were getting that day. They didn’t seem to mind it.
Yes, it was the final break before the eight elephants, who had been rescued in near death conditions just a few years earlier, would now enter their birth-right homes as healthy beings. It was a day for rejoicing, a celebration of these elephants returning home.
At dawn, each elephant was lovingly corralled into the truck, ready for their final departure from the Elephant Transit Home. It was a time of parting, which can sometimes be difficult. Tears trickled down the face of a foster parent. The mahouts looked some what grim, too. Everyone had developed a fondness towards the eight jumbos and were finding it hard to let go.
And that is what this day was all about – letting go. The goals of the Elephant Transit Home are to re-build the trust between elephants and humans, especially in cases where that trust has been breached; to bring them to sound health, to prepare them to stand on their own feet in the wilderness, and finally, to let go.
The six males and two female baby elephants released were Asha, Marga, Atlas, Nalaka, Tharos, Baby Blue, Minoli, and Senani. For a period of 2 to 3 years each will be carefully monitored through radio collar signals. If any distress signals are received, a well trained staff of veterinary surgeons will rush to their assistance.
Mr Srilal Miththapala, Director/CEO Serendib Leisure, and Vice President Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, and Dileep Mudadeniya , Managing Director Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau at the press conference at Uda Walawe National Park, immediately after the release of the elephants.
According to Sri Lal Miththapala, Director / Chief Executive Officer of Serendib Leisure Hotels and Vice President of Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, “10% of the Asian population of elephants is found in Sri Lanka . The island has one of the highest densities of elephants per land ratio. We are losing about 150 elephants a year. Currently, the elephant population in Udawalawe is about 300.” At the turn of the century a total number of 12,000 elephants were recorded in Sri Lanka . Today it has dwindled to 4,000.
“ The involvement of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau with the recent releasing of rehabilitated elephants back to the wild at the , was indeed a very useful exercise. Through this, we were able to showcase a different humane side of Sri Lanka , to the world. We need to give publicity to similar events / activities.”
“Sri Lankan wildlife and elephants in particular, has not been leveraged enough by Sri Lanka Tourism, except the perhaps the Kandy Perahara, and we should now use this platform to launch several other events. One idea that we are already working on is the ‘Gathering’ of elephants at , once a year, during September to November. This is a very unique occurrence, where one can see, at any given time, over 100 elephants in the open plains. If properly packaged and marketed, it could well become known to the world, as something similar to the world famous wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara. The Pinnawala Orphanage although quite popular now, needs to be re-positioned, not only as a tourist attraction, but also as a center for world wild research on Asian elephants. There are many others. We have great deal of bio-diversity in our small island, with over 670 sq. km designated as wild life parks and sanctuaries…which is almost 10 % of Sri Lankas’ entire land mass. That itself speaks volumes of the potential to leverage and market this angle. Last Saturday’s event was a good start, and SLTPB has now to build on this platform.”
The foster parent scheme at the Elephant transit Home lifts some of the financial constraints of running the place. It enables individuals and organizations to adopt an elephant. Their donations proceed towards the upkeep of the elephant. The monthly costs of food and nutrition per elephant is $250.
Since its inception in 1995 the Elephant Transit Home has rehabilitated and released 56 baby elephants to the . Here is an up to date record of elephants being released by the Elephant Transit Home:
Year Elephants were Released by the Elephant Transit Home
Numbers of Elephants Released into the Wilderness
1998
4
2000
5
2002
8
2003
11
2004
11
2006
9
2008
8
Also present at this event were the Honourable Minister Mr.Patalee Champika Ranawaka, Dr. Suhada Jayawardene Officer in charge at Elephant Transit Home, Dr. Tharak Prasad, Acting Deputy Director of Wildlife Health Management, Dileep Mudadeniya , Managing Director SLTPB , and officials from the Wildlife Department and Sri Lanka Tourism.
Some Interesting Tit Bits About Elephants
Some forms of elephant communication are infrasound; i.e. sounds below the frequency heard by humans. Elephants can respond and hear another’s call from as far as 4km away.
Some studies show that elephants are nervous around rabbits and dogs.
The elephant graveyard has always aroused curiosity. During its life an elephant produces sets of molars. Once the final set begins to wear, elephants find it difficult to eat their normal foods. They must move to areas where plants are easily accessible. This space eventually becomes their cemetery.
When elephants are released to the wilderness after some time of contact with humans, they are given a final “dung” cleansing to erase all previous human scent.
For more details
Sulochana Ramiah Mohan
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so wonderful
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