News
Captive elephants in state care being freed from chains
View(s):By Kasun Warakapitiya
The Department of National Zoological Gardens is moving to gradually free captive elephants from chains.
National Zoological Gardens Director General Chandana Rajapaksa said the no-chain policy has already been initiated in different phases at Dehiwala Zoo, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, and the Ridiyagama Safari Park at Hambantota.
Female elephants held at Dehiwala zoo are in an enclosure without being chained.
The elephant enclosure for animals in musth at Pinnawala
Also, the latest addition to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an elephant enclosure for animals in musth. Building of the second stage has begun.
“The part which is completed extends around 1,000 square metres, but when both stages, one and two, are combined, the whole enclosure will be 2,000 square metres. This would drastically reduce the stress of the musth elephant, as it would be free from chains.’’
In the first stage, the enclosure includes a night shed and a small outer area. The second stage extends to another outer area where an elephant may roam freely. The enclosure has a pool and an open area where an elephant can walk in between the shed and outer area at night and daytime.
He said a separate elephant enclosure is to be built next year to hold two musth elephants at a time without chains.
Dr Rajapaksa said they would first make male elephants familiarise themselves with the enclosure before they reach musth so they would not try to break the enclosure walls, cement pillars and metal-reinforced doors and railings and hurt themselves, or damage their tusks.
The enclosure also has viewing glass, shielded by metal bars, so visitors could observe the natural behaviour of the musth elephant safely.
The no-chain policy is already used for the herd of she-elephants at Pinnawala during the daytime, where they roam freely in the grassland and during their twice-a-day visit to the Maha Oya. At night, the elephants are tethered by a single chain in the sheds.
Dr Rajapaksa said female elephants could be held without chains in the future, after gradually improving the enclosures.
Adult male elephants and tuskers are chained to prevent possible aggression during musth.
Meanwhile, the Ridiyama Safari Park too had used a moat and electric fencing to separate musth elephants and keep them without chains.
However, the Dehiwala Zoo’s only tusker, Kadol, does not have a separate area to be left without chains. It is chained during musth. The plan is to move Kadol to the elephant orphanage’s musth elephant enclosure, Dr Rajapaksa said.
| Water therapy facility for jumbosThe National Zoological Gardens has plans to build a hydrotherapy unit next year to treat elephants with leg ailments, Director General Dr Chandana Rajapaksa said. Such a treatment method was needed when ailing Muthu Raja was brought in before being airlifted to Thailand. A tank will be built to hold an elephant to reduce the stress on its leg. “We can keep the water clean, apply medication through water and also heat the water, so it would help elephants heal their leg ailments,’’ he said. | |
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