An elephant shackled with heavy iron chains on its rear legs shuffles forwards, a foreign couple riding on its back. The mahout prods the elephant with a stick to keep the animal moving at one of central Sri Lanka’s top tourist attractions.
The couple visiting Pinnawala, about 100 kilometres east of the capital Colombo, enjoys the unusual bumpy ride, unable from their high vantage point to see the raw chain abrasions on the animal’s lower legs.
The elephant has already done several rounds that day in the scorching heat.
“Unfortunately, the foreigners who take elephant rides are unaware that use of domesticated animals for this purpose is illegal, as the government grants permission only to use them in cultural pageants and religious festivals,” says Sajeewa Chamikara, director of the Environment Conservation Trust.
Despite the restrictions, demand for the animals has risen along with the fast-growing tourism industry in the previously war-torn nation.
After nearly three decades of ethnic conflict between the government and Tamil rebels, Sri Lanka is on the path to recovery, offering its golden beaches and wildlife parks to visitors from around the world.
The country’s herds of elephants, and a state-run elephant orphanage in Pinnawala, have made it a prime tourist destination.
“As the laws prevent use of the animals in the tourist industry, some of them have gone to capture them from the wild,” environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardena said.
With an estimated elephant population of 6,000, the government’s wildlife department says Sri Lanka annually loses about 250 animals.
Most often, the deaths are a result of elephants encroaching on human settlements and being shot or poisoned, or killed with explosives.
But smuggling accounts for more deaths each year, Gunawardena said.
“We believe that for every baby elephant captured, the elephant (mother) is killed, as it is usually difficult to separate the mother otherwise. This is a dangerous trend, as our elephant population is under threat,” he said.
He estimated that more than 50 baby elephants have been illegally captured from the wild over the past five years. Other figures indicate that more than 70 such animals are being held.
An attempt to smuggle a baby elephant in May from a wildlife park in central Sri Lanka was thwarted by a group of animal rights activists.
Those involved in smuggling have a broad network, said wildlife conservationist Deepani Jayantha, a member of the UK—based Born Free Foundation.
Sri Lanka’s tourism authority has guidelines on the use of elephants in the tourism sector — despite the absence of a law allowing the practice — but no effective monitoring mechanism.
