December 2010: These shocking pictures capture the moment an elephant suffocated to death in Sri Lanka, after a disastrous attempt to move it - the first of two untimely elephant deaths in the country in just a few days.
The area has long had problems with human/elephant conflict - and although normally peaceful, the tusker had behaved violently two days previously, killing two people and wounding two more, one of whom is in serious condition.
It was under these circumstances that the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC) felt compelled to act, by translocating the elephant to an area further away from towns and villages.
Having been captured in the town of Thabuttegama in Sri Lanka's central province, the animal fell as it was manouevred into the truck, with its right leg breaking the floor of the vehicle. The elephant, known as Deerga Dantu - literally translating to ‘Long Teeth' - because of its impressive tusks, fell on its left fore limb. His own weight caused huge pressure to thoracic cavity.
He should have been freed immediately
Although the immediate response would normally be to cut the rope and free him, this was in the heart of the town, and, concerned about safety, the DWLC decided to drive the elephant to a nearby reservoir, without moving him from the truck or releasing the pressure on his body. It was not until he reached the reservoir that the ropes were finally cut. However, trapped by the truck and unable to free his leg, the elephant still couldn't stand and eventually died, suffocated by his own weight.
Srilal Miththapala, the man masterminding the search for Walawe Raja, the missing tusker from Udawalawe National Park, says the death is an outrage. ‘In spite of repeated calls from renowned elephant scientists that translocation is not a solution to the human elephant conflict, the Department of Wildlife and Conservation continues with this short-sighted quick-fix solution.
A very gruesome and untimely death
‘With inadequately trained personnel, and poor resources, translocation of such large animals are always fraught with danger and in this case resulted in a very gruesome, untimely and totally unwarranted death of one of the already rapidly dwindling tuskers in Sri Lanka.
‘We have a rapidly dwindling wild elephant population of a distinct sub species elephas elephas maximus found only in our country, with a very minute percentage of that being tuskers. Very soon the available gene pool will be lost, and there will be no tuskers, and after that, in a short space of time, no wild elephants.'
He added: ‘There are many vets in the DWLC who are working under very trying circumstances with meagre resources. But this tusker was arguably the finest animal in the wild and should have been handled with much more care and importance.'
Elephant electrocuted and set on fire
Just as Wildlife Extra was preparing to post this story, Srilal sent through another picture - this time showing the body of an elephant being burnt.
‘This is another tragic death in the Gomagala/ Hambegamuwa area.' he says. Although mystery surrounds the cause of the animal's death, Srilal adds: ‘The carcass of a mature bull elephant had been hastily set on fire, raising suspicions of how the elephant really died. It is reported that the animal had been electrocuted by a home-made contraption carrying 230 volts instead of the low voltage.'
Wildlife Extra attempted to contact the DWLC for its comments on the deaths, but was unable to get a reply.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/elephant-kill.html
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