By Wijitha Nakkawita
The recent rampage of the one eye blinded majestic tusker Galgamuwa Dala Poottuwa wreaking havoc in its attack on scores of vehicles on Dambulla road evokes another vital question on why cruelty of man on animals cannot be stopped.
As of a fortnight back it was reported that the ailing tusker that strayed away from his habitat, Galgamuwa is slowly moving back from the Kalaoya locality towards his former home ground after being attacked by another tusker living in the wild.
A beautiful giant
The Galgamuwa tusker, one of the most beautiful seen in recent times had received several gunshot injuries and some of them are in a bad festering state leading to gangrene developing in the body, our Dambulla correspondent Kumara Beligahagedara reported two weeks ago. This ailing tusker has suffered with its injuries over considerable period of time and was angered when another elephant who escorts the one eyed tusker was shot at by the villagers.
There is little doubt that the so-called human-elephant conflict emerged with the hastily drawn up Mahaveli River Diversion Scheme that began in the 1980s by the hindsight rich J.R.Jayewardene UNP government that boasted that the original 30 year river scheme would be completed in just four years and the hydroelectricity produced by the so-called five great reservoirs – Pancha Maha Jalasha (Five Great Reservoirs) – would be able to supply electricity to neighbouring South India. In a matter of two decades these reservoirs were to become Pacha Maha Jalasha (reservoirs of major untruth) that could not even meet the power demands of the national grid.
Chased from normal habitat
That apart, it is no secret that former forest cover along the Mahaveli River and other expanses earmarked for settling farmer families were cleared more as a measure of enriching certain pro-UNP mudalalis. The authorities while completely throwing to the winds any qualms on the destruction of the forest cover and billions of the denizens of the forests endangered the very existence of the major forest denizen the pachyderm, the pride of this country and the unique herbivorous creature who was harmless to the people for over many thousands of years.
That government also boasted the elephants that had lost their habitat would be “resettled” in other forests and this writer witnessed one such exercise at Handapanagala when elephants of that region that had gone under the Mahaveli diversion scheme were chased to other forest areas by Wild Life Department employees. But in the end most of the elephants as nature dictates returned to their normal habitat as it is well known elephants have their trails that natural instincts make them frequent.
Loved by villagers
In this so-called human-elephant conflict it is the animal that takes the brunt of beating and deaths, though of course the enraged animal attacks humans and kills them. When such a large animal that has to consume hundreds of kilograms of herbal food finds that food is scarce it forages into the croplands of villagers. The bitter truth is we have foraged into its habitat and food resources threatening its existence.
Of course, Wildlife Department Vets Taraka Prasad and Vijitha Perera in the Kala Wewa forest reserve are doing a great job in their attempt to save the life of this beautiful but now helpless tusker who had found refuge in its hour of sheer agony in that forest reserve. It is being fed on special food like pumpkins and fruits and these two vets were trying the impossible while the leaders who planned and executed the messed up Mahaveli Diversion are gone.
The latest report from the region said the villagers of Galgamuwa were preparing milk rice and other delicacies to feed Dala Poottuwa tusker who was loved by them before things became too hot for that lovely animal.
http://www.nation.lk/2011/11/20/newsfe2.htm
Animal is saved at last.
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