By Ifham Nizam
Carrying out Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) tests on elephants is a wonderful idea but it has to be done after careful observations as such things might lead to gene piracy or bio piracy, says National Zoological Gardens, Director General Bashwara Senanka Gunaratne.
The Director General responding to the recent recommendation by the Wildlife Conservation Forum that to prevent elephant theft, particularly baby elephants from the wild, a DNA test should be conducted and all elephants given to third parties should be tagged, says it is going to be a costly affair and queries, "who is going to collect them and bank them".
"These experiments have to be done very carefully or it might cause number of other issues. The Non-Governmental Organisations that get dollars and pounds can say whatever they feel but being a responsible body, we have to think about the tradition and culture and the role of elephants in pageants, and in the tourism sector," he said.
He says elephants are given to Temples and Devalas and elephant caretakers in a lawful manner in keeping with the age old traditions of the country.
Wildlife Forum’s Convener, Nayanaka Ranwella says donating elephants from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage to third parties should be stopped.
The first elephant calf was born in 1985 at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Since its inception in 1975, 67 elephant calves have been born in the Orphanage and 12 of these calves have been given to various people in 2011 alone, says Ranwella.
He adds that while only 67 calves were born in the Orphanage, but 85 calves have been given to the private sector for adoption during the same period.
"The worst part is that all top or healthy animals particularly males are given away, meaning it affects the breeding pattern in the Pinnawala elephant orphangae".
This orphanage, one and only in the world, originally founded to provide care and protection to the orphaned elephants found injured or sick in the jungles has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world and is a major tourist attraction.
Environmental Lawyer, Jagath Gunawardena says a DNA test would cost between Rs. 5,000 and 6,000 when done privately, and the amount could be much less if it is done in an institution like the Peradeniya University.
He also says that the cost of the test should be borne by those who wish to adopt the elephants.
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