“ELEPHANTS, TOO, COUNT” – By Des Kelly

 An excellent idea pertaining to an “Elephant Census”, is now being negotiated in Sri Lanka, realizing perhaps, that it is almost imperative now, to try and take proper stock of this magnificent animal, one that, more than any other, practically symbolizes the Country itself, one that can actually work harder than dozen men, & animals who are trained to be the “Stars” of most big processions or Pereharas, as they are called in Sinhala. Politicians in S.L., 

like  “Pollies” everywhere, seem to procrastinate & get their priorities all mixed up. I would reckon that 95% of Tourists who visit Sri Lanka, especially during the Wesak festivities, will want to get some views of these huge, but beautiful Creatures, to complete their holiday & perhaps even go back there a second or third time, to watch the highly decorated Elephants play their part in the Peraharas, with the main Tusker carrying the sacred tooth relic of Buddha on his back. Any procession over there, could not be a proper one, without Elephants in them, to add to the magic of the situation.

     Yes, an extensive Census of Sri Lankan Elephants is  absolutely necessary, and when completed, these great animals must be looked after thoroughly to ensure, not only future tourism, but also the “ALIYA-SYMBOL” that IS SRI LANKA.

  Desmond Kelly.
(Editor-in-Chief)  eLanka.

Elephant census on Sept. 13 and 14
Source: Island Newspaper

The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) will carry out a two-day survey on wild elephants between September 13 and 14, the Department says.

The DWC expected to record the number of elephants and to categorize the population according to their gender, age and the number of tuskers, Wildlife Director General C. Sooriyabandara said in a media statement.

The last such survey was carried out in 2011 and the population of wild elephants then had been recorded at 5879. They included 122 tuskers and 1,107 calves. Sooriyabandara said that the 2011 survey had been restricted to habitats around water reservoirs during the dry season.

The DWC expects to deploy over 7,000 wildlife officers to cover over 2,000 habitats. Unlike in 2011, this year’s survey will also be conducted in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. “University students, non-governmental organizations, and the general public who wish to be a part of this survey can contact the Wildlife Department on 011 – 2888 585.”

The 2011 survey was fraught with controversy as environmental organizations which were to provide 500 researchers refrained from taking part in the census after former Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S.M. Chandrasena stated that the chief objective of the elephant census was to identify, capture and domesticate 300 young elephants and tuskers suitable to carry caskets in Peraheras.

 These cartoons were done by Navaratnarajah Senthikumaran aka Kumaran, a cartoonist par excellence, who lives in Singapore, for the last Sri Lankan Elephant census in 2011. They are as relevant as ever.