| Plus |
|
|||
|
By Ruwanthi
Herat Gunaratne and Vidushi Seneviratne We cannot help
but linger to watch as a thick block of stone is carved into the
serene form of Lord Buddha. C. M. Tillekeratne is hard at work.
It's not only Buddha statues that he and 'his men' carve but also
plaques, fountains, replicas of other ancient artifacts and even
tombstones. "You could
say that the saga began twenty years ago," he reminisces. "We
were originally from Hindagala, Kandy. But when I was about ten,
we moved to Anuradhapura, and visited Polonnaruwa later on. The
architecture and the statues fascinated me." Tillekeratne
wanted to carve such masterpieces himself. But his dream was not
encouraged. "Rock carving wass not the kind of profession that
my parents approved of." Sheer determination
saw him through as after a few years, Tillekeratne got the opportunity
to set his own hands to work. Though carving tombstones in Kurunegala,
Negombo and Colombo did not seem like the perfect starting point,
it laid a firm foundation for his future work. He realised
that he had to widen his knowledge if he was to realize his ambition.
"I used to visit all the secondhand bookshops in search of
books on ancient architecture and carving techniques. Through the
years I managed to accumulate a wide knowledge on the subject. I
went to the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo and studied with Gunewardene,
who taught me the basics. I was also lucky enough to meet two Indians
who guided me. My dream came true when I carved a fifteen-inch Buddha
statue that year. It was a wonderful feeling." He then obtained
permission to set up a stand selling his wares next to the Old Kadugannawa
Road. "I took
about fifteen months to complete my first statue. But I could not
possibly sell the Buddha statues at an exorbitant price in the hope
of making money. I carved them with pleasure. The statue taking
form gave me a sense of satisfaction. I had to therefore extend
the business to other areas of stone carving." Large hexagon
shaped pots proved to be ideal for those who wished to have miniature
ponds overflowing with lotuses. Flat stone dishes and other small
statues proved to be very popular among tourists. He later moved
close to his home and set up a workshop, where he now works. Orders began
coming in. He was asked to put up an 18-foot Buddha statue in Kalutara,
then a five-foot statue at the Pothgul Viharaya in Gelioya. Another
five-foot statue for the Washington Buddhist Center is in the final
stages of completion. Tillekeratne and his men were the first to
take a Buddha statue to Adam's Peak just last October. "One mistake
and that's it," says Tillekeratne of the difficult task of
carving stone. "I've got a number of blocks stacked at home
that have gone wrong due to a slight crack." The statues
are made from handpicked stones. The raw materials are brought from
all over Sri Lanka; Galaha, Delthota, Avissawella, Madagama and
Neluwa. Whilst Paligu
is the firm favourite, they also carve statues out of limestone,
which though more expensive is simply beautiful. We watch the
tedious process begin once again, as the workers take up their tools.
Is
the establishment of private zoos in Sri Lanka a step in the right
direction? Why it isn't
surprising there is such opposition to this idea is that so far
the record of most zoos - especially in Sri Lanka - in regard to
managing and providing for the welfare of their animals, has been
atrocious. Are zoos
needed? A few good
private zoos can contribute to our country's growth and sustainable
development goals. Well-managed zoos will give our local zoo personnel,
wildlife conservationists, scientists and students in the life sciences
employment opportunities as well as opportunities to participate
in national and international wildlife conservation efforts. The establishment
of private zoos in Sri Lanka can definitely be a step in the right
direction if from the very beginning the correct organizations,
resources and personnel are involved. The reasons for the Ministry
of Environment to consider establishing private zoos - promoting
tourism and attracting foreign investments should not be the guiding
principles or the essential criteria - but secondary benefits that
Sri Lanka will gain by allowing the establishment of well run private
zoos. Rather the motivation behind the Ministry of Environment should
be the need to develop a sound forum to support the growth of natural
sciences, field research, wildlife conservation, veterinary science,
animal healthcare, and the improvement of captive management of
wild animals in Sri Lanka. The modern zoo has an important and crucial role to play. In the words of Dr. William Conway, the former Director and President of the number one zoo in the United States, the Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Society based in New York, "...the 21st Century zoo must be redesigned as a hedge against biotic impoverishment; a time machine buying continuance for faltering wildlife populations; a corridor of care between parks and reserves; and, more than ever, humanity's primary introduction to wildlife, promoter of environmental literacy and recruiting center for conservationists." Since we are aware that there are examples of good zoos and it is an attainable goal - concerned organizations and individuals should lobby to bring about radical reforms in the way the animals at the Dehiwala Zoo are managed. They should ask the relevant authorities to appoint qualified personnel and to provide the necessary resources to manage the zoo properly or hand it over to an organization that can do so. It is only by calling for radical reforms, and by setting examples and creating awareness that we can change the attitudes and wrongful practices of people and institutions. It is important for a zoo to have a team of dedicated people to administer and manage it as a permanent professional staff. Not everyone has the knowledge, the love, and the knack to work with animals. Hence it is important that the personnel in a zoo, from the Director to the Animal Keepers, are professionals. The modern
zoo The good zoos
play a major role in biodiversity conservation, supporting various
in-situ and ex-situ wildlife conservation efforts worldwide. There
is a current misconception that zoos are living museums of endangered
animals, and that they breed these animals in the hope of introducing
them to the wild. Though zoos do attempt to maintain viable breeding groups of animals endangered or otherwise, very few animal species bred in zoos are returned to the wild. The major reasons zoos maintain captive breeding is to refrain from capturing additional animals from the wild to replenish captive populations, and to maintain viable populations of rare and endangered animal species so that they would not become extinct. If such a species becomes extinct in the wild, then all attempts will be made to increase its captive population so as to introduce it to its former habitat if that habitat still exists. Zoos also breed
endangered animals as flag ship species, for example the giant panda,
Asian elephant, snow leopard, Siberian tiger, black rhinoceros,
and gorilla. People can readily relate to these charismatic animals,
so they can be used to carry on the message of conservation. Endangered
or not, wild animals are best preserved in their natural habitats,
together with the plant communities they depend on, and this is
the most important message good zoos have for the public. The visit
to the zoo should not only be entertaining to the visitor but should
give them much more than this. Zoos are changing,
and our expectations of them should change too. A good zoo today
offers an opportunity to understand wildlife and their habitats,
and most importantly, the immediate need for wildlife conservation. Also establishing
new zoos contrary to the misgivings voiced by some who oppose private
zoos does not destroy existing forests. In fact, for a long time
now most good zoo exhibits have followed a philosophy of building
habitat immersed, naturalistic looking enclosures. In this approach
to exhibit design natural features in the land are incorporated
into the exhibit design. A good zoo
places emphasis on the fact that people should care about the animals
they see at the zoo, and that they can help to save them by supporting
efforts to save their habitats in nature. The zoo is the interface
where the average person can come into close contact with wild animals
they may never see in the wild. This close contact should leave
them with a memorable experience of the amazing diversity of life
on Earth and its need to survive. Solution For example
the Bronx Zoo, the Coney Island Aquarium and several smaller zoos
in the Boroughs of New York City are managed and administered by
the Wildlife Conservation Society. This is a private, non-governmental,
non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization. The zoo property
(land), buildings and the collection of animals are owned by the
City of New York. The City annually allocates a working budget to
the Society. Additionally, the Society in turn raises an equal or
larger amount for expansion, development, education and research.
This money is generated from admissions, merchandising/gift shops,
membership dues, donations, grants and gains from capital investments. The Wildlife Conservation Society has also established an Endowment Fund (Trust Fund) for the zoos. The annual income from the endowment ensures that there are sufficient funds to manage the zoos and aquarium, minimally, if City funds are cut back. Otherwise these funds are used for zoo expansion and development, new conservation programmes as well for the development and improvement of staff. If the Sri Lankan government is willing sincerely to do what is best for the Dehiwala Zoo and its animals - then with such an approach the Dehiwala Zoo too can be brought to the international standards of a good modern zoo within a couple of years. As Dr. Conway
further envisioned, "...the Zoo's vision for the 21st Century
should be to become proactive wildlife conservation care-givers
and intellectual resources; to step out beyond our fences by aiding
parks and reserves; to sustain animals which have lost their habitats
and conduct campaigns to restore them - and to provide from our
collections as many key species as possible to be the stimulus and
centerpieces of conservation efforts around the world." The blueprints
and the expertise to establish good well-managed modern zoos are
out there in the world, the important question is: are the relevant
authorities in Sri Lanka willing to use them? The writer
is a member of the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (www.slwcs.org),
U.S.A |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
