by Dushy Ranetunge in Kaudulla National Park(May 18, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) One of Sri Lanka’s national treasures, the majestic tusker who roams the forests of Kaudulla and Somawathie is ailing after being shot at by poachers, and according to some, trigger happy home guards.
The Kaudulla National Park was quiet last Friday (9th May) evening. Elections in the East and the heavy rains seem to be keeping most of the guests to the park and the hotels in Habarana away. We were told that we were the first guests to the park this month.
At approximately 5 pm the glorious tusker, perhaps Sri Lanka’s largest, was sighted in the waterway to the left of the main road in Kaudulla National park, which is situated on a high bund. For over half an hour the tusker waded through the waterway before climbing up to the road and then after having walked along the road for awhile, climbed down on the right side, and walked towards the Kaudulla reservoir.
The tusker’s front legs were riddled with bullet wounds and gun shot injuries were also observed near his head, behind the ears. Some of these wounds had a discharge. The park guide observing the wounds to the tusker’s legs commented that the gunmen had been trying to bring the tusker down. He also stated that the tusker was wading in the water to keep the flies away from its wounds to its legs. The tusker seemed distressed, perhaps alarmed with the presence of humans so soon after having been shot at.
Those in the jeep requested the park guide to alert the vet, so that the wounds could be treated. But the park guide stated that by the time the vet is mobilised the tusker would have moved and it would be difficult to track it down for treatment. He however used his mobile phone to alert some others and then explained that Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa had requested that he be informed if the tusker is spotted.
It was unclear how it was possible for Premadasa to locate the tusker and not the vet.
The following evening (10th May), an official of the President’s office was informed about the predicament of the tusker and he in turn alerted officials of the wild life department. The Director General of Wild Life had also been alerted and a team was leaving for the park on Tuesday.
Curiously, when wild life officials in Colombo made inquiries from the officials at Kaudulla National Park on Monday, and inquired as to why they had not been alerted about the injured tusker, the officials in Kaudulla had denied that the tusker was spotted on Friday. An opinion had been expressed by some in the wild life field that the tusks had already been spoken for and that they are waiting for the elephant to die.
On the Thursday night (8th May) three elephants were feeding on grass by the road side on the Trincomalee – Habarana road, when a home guard was observed discharging his weapon. When questioned he stated that he was clearing the road of elephants.
But the elephants were not blocking the road. The use of a weapon if the elephant was attacking the home guard would have been acceptable, but the arbitrary use of weapons to chase away feeding elephants reflects the poor calibre training and supervision of the home guards being deployed.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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