Future of Sri Lankan Elephants: the wild or the sheltered?
I was watching a tv prog today about Sri Lankan Elephants. And what did I learn from it? I really don’t know for it left me asking more questions at the end than I had at the beginning. Especially since I’d just heard that SB Dissanayake had requested Ranil W to appoint him as the Assistant Leader of the UNP. Kinda funny ain’t it? Me ! Me! Did I say Me?
Elephants in Sri Lanka are respected and held in high-esteem. One man (in the tv prog) even went as far as to say that if there are no elephants, there is no country. However this sentimental view is not wholly shared by villagers who can’t sleep at night for fear of elephant attacks. They don’t see the elephant through the rosy hue that others do. For them, it’s not about the “elephants”. It’s about the one elephant that terrorizes them every night. The Wild Elephant.
There was more in the prog about people and elephant migration and several what-to-do's that were not all that interesting, hence shall not be repeated here.
But, now I’m left trying to answer questions I had not thought of before.
At the end of the day, which ones are the best?
Those born in shelter who knows not the ways of the world?
OR
Those born in the wild who knows not common decency and self-respect?
Elephant and Baby - Wasgamuwa Park (Dec 2004)
6 comments:
...thats right. blame it on the ELEPHANTS! :) but both kinds became a problem only in relation to humans, didnt they?
Oh... I never lived in a village that was constantly rampaged by wild jumbos. But even in the middle of Kandy, we used to get an elephant or two from the 'Maligawa' in our front yard almost every month as their caretakers take them around looking for jack-leaves. (And elephants of the two-legged kind looking for 'manapes' during election time). It’s enough to have been chased by 'waliga kota' in the Udawalawe National park to know the wrath of a wild elephant, but wild or tame, they are truly amazing animals.
But the point is, the questions you raise are flawed, the generalisation you make is shallow. The 'maligawa tusker' which carries the tooth-relic is supposed to be 'sheltered' can be as uncouth as ‘waliga kota’ and some wild elephants have been documented to be decent and gentle. Even the anima world is not so black and white and a person’s or animal’s upbringing is not the defining factor in his/her/its character!
Jokerman: Trust you to come up wit the winner! ;o)
Oh GOD!! Someone's put this post on Elephant News!! But with the SB/ UNP bit edited out..He he heh..too bloody funny!
Anon: Did you really and truly take all this so seriously? *sigh* Didn't mean to step on any tails - long or short! ;oD
What would "waliga kota" think of getting pregnant?? no.. its not a lame question... when you talk of a man getting pregnant, culture and perceptions come into play no... but how about we help males in the animal kingdom (including the lion kings) get pregnant?? especially those on the endangered list ha!
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