Sri Lanka : Traditions and cruelty with elephants.

02/09/2023

Natural behaviour by elephants-🚫 NOT ALLOWED and even punishable in Sri Lanka!

23/08/2023

Urgent Petition to sign & share

End Elephant Use in the Kandy Perahera in Sri Lanka Due to Cruelty and Safety Concerns

08/06/2023

01/06/2023

17/12/2022

29/11/2022

Following an incident which saw the previous elephant held by the Sri Lankan army ‘Kandula ‘ kill one soldier and land two others in ICU the then General Shavendra Silva promised that whilst he was Army Commander no elephant will be held captive by the army!
Now Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage has succeeded Silva. The Neanderthal Liyanage has wasted no time along with Major General Jagath Kodithuwakku in returning primitive cruel ways to the army!
An elephant by the name of ‘Nilgala’ has been plucked from Pinnawala Elephant Orphange to become an Army mascot!
An intelligent sentient being will be held in solitary confinement in chains, the lives of further young soldiers will be risked for no reason other than to boost the egos of the ‘men’ who are charged with protecting Sri Lanka.
THIS is a cruel unnecessary action that only the WEAKEST of men would take!
🇱🇰 A BACKWARDS STEP IN A NATION SEEKING PROGRESSION!
Post From the Sri Lankan Army - https://www.facebook.com/SriLankaArmyDefendersoftheNation/posts/pfbid0LJ2MCmTruZ5gJjcEJjGxaYGkDGjra4tPHsEa3nyCy7Qy7Hw8swnYm5UVGrSU3V7cl?__cft__[0]=AZVQr7lgBDKB8_9mOrBpYJ0TMCdjz_sBgK-9Z-1vqSeGkeK0IBwvJthl2TpQpF6GTrKld-TKzUDTmPMgvlCcesPNUrgLzqoOt7LGakOG8BsbyBgiVqBR8e7ZJfuDS9tPjVPf1cd2VEZoI_wepV8I8Ulf&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

23/09/2022

Finally Free From His Prison
at Dehiwala Zoo in Sri Lanka

This wild caught Bandula was brought to the zoo in 1949.
He has been in the small space of his enclosure chained in concrete 24x7.
He was made to give rides and do tricks in different times during these 73 years.

In 2018-2019 period after strengthening his enclosure fences his chains were removed from time to time yet even when he was physically off chains he remained standing in the same spot for few weeks as he didnt know anything else other than standing in one place.

Even after 2018 he was still chained most days of the year during his abnormally long musth period, probably symptom caused by captivity.

The very unconvincing excuse of Zoo authorities being "his enclosure fences arent strong enough for him to be chainfree during musth"
(We feel they didnt care and they were lazy. Although we offered advise they refused to take help from us)
There were many requests for him to be moved to Ridiyagama Safari Park where he could have lived a better life but the Dehiwala Zoo staff didnt want him to be moved as he was iconic to Dehiwala Zoo.

Why do we need Zoos? Education ? Conservation ? What did you learn from Bandula ? Were you able to conserve elephants in Sri Lankan forests by keeping him in the Zoo?

WE ARE HAPPY THAT HE IS DEAD.
Atleast now he is free
AND HE WILL NOT BE AN OBJECT OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR HUMANS , the true objective of a Zoo.

What can you do to make sure animals dont suffer like Bandula did? Stop visiting zoos. Take your children to Wildlife Parks.

11/09/2022

https://fb.watch/ftafx7pvQG/

16/06/2022

TWEET STORM TODAY ! Automated Tweet Sheet - https://sites.google.com/view/tweetsformuthuraja/home

Please Join 'RARE Sri Lanka' in tweeting for Muthu Raja TODAY!
🐘 Muthu Raja should NOT be left in the custody of The temple 'Kande Viharaya' that neglected him nor should they be permitted to keep any other elephant!
🐘 Without consequences what deterrent is there to prevent other elephants being neglected and abused in the same way?
Automated click to Tweet Sheet - https://sites.google.com/view/tweetsformuthuraja/home

25/03/2022

LIARS !!!!!

21/03/2022

READ THE DESCRIPTIONPinnawala Elephant Sanctuary is one of Sri Lanka's top tourist destinations. I need to make it extremely clear that the treatment of elep...

14/03/2022

THIS ARTICLE BEGS THE QUESTION, WHEN DID JOURNALISTS STOP CARRYING OUT PROPER RESEARCH?
▪️ Holding any animal captive does not equate to domestication, nor is domestication dependent on the presence of the same species in the wild, the authors suggestion that this is the case is a ludicrous assertion. Most experts agree that to be domesticated, animals must have been selectively bred by humans for at least 12 generations, with offspring from each generation chosen for further breeding based on their desired traits, elephants have never undergone this process, therefore what you have is a wild elephant in captivity not a domesticated animal.
▪️ The author puts forward the usual argument that elephants in captivity are safer than those in the wild as though chained to a tree or wild are the only options! There is a middle ground, a middle ground largely ignored by the captive elephant lobby in Sri Lanka and wholly ignored by this author and that is GOOD WELFARE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF CAPTIVITY, allowing elephants the freedom to express their natural behaviors such as digging, dusting, scratching against trees, grazing and bathing (alone or with their own kind) but still within the confines of captivity, affording an elephant the five basic freedoms of good captive animal welfare. We suggest the author would do well to look these up, they are easily found as they are the premise on which all good captive settings function.
It’s by no means a perfect solution as captivity cannot provide fully for the natural behaviors of an elephant, yet a far preferable solution to a life in chains, for the elephant at least!
▪️ Another claim made by the author is that Nadungamuwe Raja and other captive elephants in Sri Lanka "can serve a bigger role as ambassadors of environmental conservation" we suggest that displaying elephants as mere objects of human entertainment does not persuade anyone to conserve elephants rather these actions put forward the notion that elephants are to be used and abused at the will of man and sadly, the annual number of elephant deaths at the hands of man in Sri Lanka supports our view! Were the authors view to hold weight then you would expect Sri Lanka to have the most cherished and protected population of wild elephants in the world yet tragically the opposite is true!
For any progress for elephants to be forthcoming in Sri Lanka we need REAL JOURNALISTS prepared to look at all sides of the debate not those who merely serve as mouthpieces for the captive elephant lobby and provide misinformation to support their own bias!
📰 https://island.lk/nadungamuwe-raja-a-prisoner-of.../...

THIS ARTICLE BEGS THE QUESTION, WHEN DID JOURNALISTS STOP CARRYING OUT PROPER RESEARCH?
▪️ Holding any animal captive does not equate to domestication, nor is domestication dependent on the presence of the same species in the wild, the authors suggestion that this is the case is a ludicrous assertion. Most experts agree that to be domesticated, animals must have been selectively bred by humans for at least 12 generations, with offspring from each generation chosen for further breeding based on their desired traits No elephant has ever undergone this process, therefore what you have is a wild elephant in captivity not a domesticated animal.
▪️ The author puts forward the usual argument that elephants in captivity are safer than those in the wild as though chained to a tree or wild are the only options! There is a middle ground, a middle ground largely ignored by the captive elephant lobby in Sri Lanka and wholly ignored by this author and that is GOOD WELFARE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF CAPTIVITY, allowing elephants the freedom to express their natural behaviors such as digging, dusting, scratching against trees, grazing and bathing (alone or with their own kind) but still within the confines of captivity, affording an elephant the five basic freedoms of good captive animal welfare. We suggest the author would do well to look these up, they are easily found as they are the premise on which all good captive settings function.
It’s by no means a perfect solution as captivity cannot provide fully for the natural behaviors of an elephant, yet a far preferable solution to a life in chains, for the elephant at least!
▪️ Another claim made by the author is that Nadungamuwe Raja and other captive elephants in Sri Lanka "can serve a bigger role as ambassadors of environmental conservation" we suggest that displaying elephants as mere objects of human entertainment does not persuade anyone to conserve elephants rather these actions put forward the notion that elephants are to be used and abused at the will of man and sadly, the annual number of elephant deaths at the hands of man in Sri Lanka supports our view! Were the authors view to hold weight then you would expect Sri Lanka to have the most cherished and protected population of wild elephants in the world yet tragically the opposite is true!
For any progress for elephants to be forthcoming in Sri Lanka we need REAL JOURNALISTS prepared to look at all sides of the debate not those who merely serve as mouthpieces for the captive elephant lobby and provide misinformation to support their own bias!
📰 https://island.lk/nadungamuwe-raja-a-prisoner-of-culture-an-ambassador-of-culture-or-rather-an-ambassador-of-conservation/?fbclid=IwAR1OETtP3RBFEkUP36HXxqKuhGg5KgmCyV2SqUjzlO447O_061GfUxLgI1o
️

08/03/2022

Truth!

28/01/2022

A corrupt Attorney General, devoid of compassion or care conspires with Smugglers and sadistic temples to supply elephant slaves!

26/01/2022

*** BREAKING NEWS ***
Despite the Supreme Court and Apeal Court of Sri Lanka being in the process of hearing 3 court cases regarding illegally captured baby elephants The Attorney General of Sri Lanka has requested RATNAPURA MAGISTRATE COURT for the release of illegally captured KANDULA elephant to TISSAMAHARAMA RAJA MAHA VIHARAYA yesterday 25.01.2022. The elephant has been released by Department of Wildlife Conservation from Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage .
👉 Once more the actions of the ATTORNEY GENERAL are highly questionable to say the least. Is he representing the people or the criminals ❓
📷 Images for representation purposes only

15/01/2022

Recently a Sri Lankan group claiming to be concerned with “improving the welfare of captive elephants” shared a video of an elephant stereotyping prolifically.
🐘 Elephants exhibit stereotypical behaviours (repetitive motions such as swaying or head bobbing) due to stress and frustration. Prolific stereotypical behaviour such as that seen in the video is indicative of serious welfare concerns and suffering!
❓The group offered no explanation with the post which received no fewer than 116 heart emoji’s and 129 likes –
💔 MORE THAN 200 INDIVIDUALS WHO LIKE/LOVE SEEING AN ELEPHANT SUFFERING! 😞😞
How can welfare improve without a basic understanding of the problems?
We implore all groups in Sri Lanka to do more to educate their audience, only through education and knowledge will improvements which are sorely needed happen 🙏

09/01/2022

PINNAWALA ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE - ( isn't actually an orphanage)
▪️ THE TWIN ELEPHANT CALVES FIRST TIME AT THE RIVER ▪️
💩 Crowds of people in close proximity
💩 Stressed and agitated elephants
💩 Mahouts with bull hooks and canes!
✅ The mother elephant should have had the choice to take the twins in the river or not.
✅ Onlookers should have been held at a respectful distance to avoid causing stress to the family.
👀 Watch the body language of both adults and twin calves... None want to go in the river, and none are afforded a choice! Instead, they are pushed, jostled and pulled by their ears.... all this cruelty and upset for a press call and ‘Facebook live’ 😔😔
👉The ethos at ‘Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage’ is one of dominance, force and elephants submitting to the demands of people!
Far from being a momentous occasion this video merely display’s much that is sadly very wrong at Pinnawala!
PEO is NOT a Sanctuary but a cruel zoo where self-promotion and tourist experience is ALWAYS prioritised over elephant welfare. ️

03/01/2022

23/12/2021

https://handluggageonly.co.uk/2017/06/14/heres-never-visit-pinnawala-elephant-orphanage-sri-lanka/?fbclid=IwAR2Y2sXHwnrcgOqzSWoR7u1vsgpgWDEN4WO0nFgsfUKkmJZOlRWclqTL238

I Like to think of myself as a kind of ‘glass half full’ kinda guy. I endeavour to see the silver linings in mistakes and the possibilities to learn that - Here's Why You Should Never Visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage In Sri Lanka - Travel, Travel Advice - Asia, Sri Lanka - Travel, Food and Hom...

21/11/2021

‼ INJURED MALE ELEPHANT AND ILLEGAL BABY ELEPHANT ‼
Another elephant with a serious leg injury still being used for perahera’s! This is Bandara an elephant in the custody of notorious rogue and suspected elephant smuggler Kamal Kithsiri. Not only is Bandara suffering with a leg injury he is also made to wear an illegal ‘spiked hobble’ (chain of thorns) on his right leg
The young elephant trudging along behind is Panchali one of the 14 illegally captured elephants returned to suspects.
👉 Time and time again we see footage and hear reports of elephants in the custody of Kamal Kithsiri being beaten and forced to do hard labour and now he has another young victim to abuse in Panchali 💔
🇱🇰 What a country Sri Lanka is, we reward smugglers, the abuse of animals, even those it’s claimed form part of our culture and heritage goes unnoticed and unpunished and racketeers and animal abusers are invited by temples to take roles in religious processions!! What a mockery of Buddhism! What a joke we have become!

12/11/2021

THE HARM CAUSED TO WILD ELEPHANTS BY THE ‘PERAHERA ELEPHANT CULTURE’
******************************************
Several pages that celebrate and glorify captive elephants have reported on the recent attempted abduction of an elephant calf from Udawalawa National Park
These reports have been greeted with comments from supporters rightly condemning this terrible act. But isn’t this sheer hypocrisy❓
👉 Those who support taking elephants in the perahera, those who glorify the suffering of “tamed” elephants, those who consider the incarceration of elephants for their entertainment essential are the very people fuelling these heinous activities!
❓❓How many of the people posting comments of condemnation about this attempted abduction vote with their feet by refusing to visit say Kataragama or Gangaramaya temples or peraheras because they hold illegal elephants caught in the same barbaric way?
How many refuse to celebrate when for example they see illegally caught elephants Ganga, Sanju, Mihin Raja or Rohana Raja? How does saying “sadhu sadhu” reconcile with condemning wild captures❓
How many pages dedicated to glorifying Sri Lanka’s captive elephants refuse to share content relating to illegally captured elephants or those complicit in their capture i.e. the temples and owners for whom these elephants are caught, the vets that are known to have assisted in illegal captures or those who have conspired to conceal these calves❓
🚫 Until such time as captive elephant supporters who profess to be against these acts STOP merely expressing disagreement and TAKE REAL STEPS to show their condemnation how can their disapproval be taken seriously?
Those who campaign for an end to using elephants in the perahera are frequently told by the captive elephant lobby to instead “campaign for wild elephants”
👉 HOW ABOUT THE CAPTIVE LOBBY STEPPING UP AND TAKING THEIR OWN ADVICE❓

26/10/2021

*******A “KING” TREATED LIKE A “PAUPER”*******
This is elephant ‘Muthu Raja’ which translates as ‘Pearl King’ and yet like all other captive elephants in Sri Lanka both his medical care and diagnosis is more befitting of that for a pauper than a king – WHY❓
👉 Because Sri Lanka, despite claiming to care for captive elephants has no modern facilities or equipment to do so…no scanner, no portable X-Ray machine, no hydro pool, no scales, no laser therapy and the list goes on.... None of the facilities or equipment needed to provide modern effective care for captive elephants or conclusive diagnostics!
🐘🐘 So many captive elephants lives are lost prematurely and needlessly due to these failings and rather than the wealthy elephant owners collectively funding the modern equipment to ensure less suffering & lower mortality they simply allow these preventable deaths to occur and shout “we need more elephants!” Rather than the 'TAMED ELEPHANT OWNERS ASSOCIATION' holding meetings to discuss how to obtain this equipment and improve the lives of captive elephants they meet to decide how they should obtain more elephants!
❌ PROOF that these elephants are NOT cared for but are merely viewed as REPLACEABLE DISPOSABLE OBJECTS – A mere rich man’s TOY a symbol of PRESTIGE like a Mercedes car except the Mercedes is afforded better healthcare!

25/10/2021

PLEASE VOTE FOR SRI LANKA