A vigil was held on 9 January at the Viharamahadevi Park to mark the lives of elephants who died in captivity in 2019 and 2020. Sri Lanka, whose
population of captive elephants currently numbers approximately 200, is one of the few countries in the world that possess these magnificent creatures roaming around our wilds.
While being a disastrous year for humans, 2020 has also been a terrible year for the Sri Lankan elephant, with more than 400 elephant deaths being reported over the course of the year, and human-elephant conflict escalating to unprecedented levels.
Heartbreaking stories
This weekend’s vigil, held by Rally for Environmental Rights (RARE), Animals & Us, and the Animal Rights Protection Force, saw a few dedicated naturalists and animal welfarists coming together to mark the lives of the captive elephants who have most recently departed from this world.
The vigil took place in the wake of a recent controversy that took place when a video showing captive elephant Myan Prince being abused at the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya temple began recirculating last week on social media, following Myan Prince’s recent return to the temple after some time away.
A spokesperson from RARE shared with The Morning Brunch that according to recent data, there are approximately 200 captive elephants in Sri Lanka. Of these, 100 elephants are in the custody of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the Dehiwala Zoo, or the Ridiyagama Safari Park, approximately 40 are in the custody of religious establishments and temples, and approximately 60 are privately owned.
The vigil remembered the lives of captive elephants Kanakota (aged 18), Ranmenika (aged 65), Abhaya (aged 13), Tikiri (aged 70), Jayanthi (aged 65), and Saman (aged 45-55).
RARE shared that many of these elephants who recently died in captivity led lives of quiet, and, sometimes not so quiet, distress. Kanakota, for example, died at the tender of 18 after taking part in a perahera for two consecutive nights, walking all the way back to his riding camp and then doing four elephant-back rides for tourists the very next day, before ultimately collapsing on the fourth ride. 
Another elephant whose story RARE highlighted was Saman, whose exact age was unknown, but who died aged between 45 and 55 (fairly young for an elephant), had a history of being abused. In 2008 or 2009, he was wounded so badly while in the custody of the Sri Sumana Saman Devalaya in Ratnapura that he had to be taken back to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Despite this, he was returned to the Devalaya, and in the following decade, ended up killing five of his mahouts. In 2019, Saman was taken back into the custody of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage following appeals by animal rights activists, but never fully recovered from his wounds. RARE shared that he had been treated so badly, he no longer had a tail when he was returned to Pinnawala.
Perhaps the most famous captive elephant of recent history who was remembered at the vigil was Tikiri, who died in 2019 aged 69. Tikiri became famous and an icon of sorts for the plight of Sri Lankan captive elephants when she was spotted at the 2019 Esala Perahera in emaciated condition by Save The Elephant Foundation Founder Lek Chailert. After animal welfarists the world over raised concern about an elephant of Tikiri’s age and condition being in the perahera, Tikiri was removed from the perahera, and died a few weeks later.
The vigil also called for ending animal slavery, and appealed for Myan Prince to be released from the custody of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya.
An argument put forward for elephants being in peraheras and processions in Sri Lanka is that they form an integral part of Sri Lankan culture, coupled with the assertion that the elephants themselves enjoy being part of the procession. Scientific studies on elephants in recent years have consistently shown that elephants in peraheras are often in distress, and that the shaking of their heads – commonly regarded by humans as enjoyment of the perahera – is actually a sign of “stereotyping”, a way of elephants showing they are in mental distress, or “zoochosis”.
The way we keep captive elephants is unacceptable: Rukshan Jayawardene
Naturalist and Environmental Foundation Ltd. (EFL) Director Rukshan Jayawardene, who attended the vigil, shared with The Morning Brunch that in today’s context, with the knowledge and resources we have at our disposal on the psychology and behaviour of elephants, we simply cannot continue to keep elephants in captivity.
“We as Sri Lankans need to accept and understand from the grassroots level up that the way we keep and maintain captive elephants is simply not acceptable,” Jayawardene said. “To justify doing so in the name of culture and tradition cannot be accepted anymore, and to justify elephants being used in peraheras and religious events on religious grounds is contradictory, especially in Buddhism. Given the compassion that the Buddha showed all animals, no justification is possible for any kind of cruelty or oppression, or causing mental distress.
“Using Buddhism as an excuse or reason is out. I speak as a Buddhist. It is very sad that many elephants still in captivity are still associated with temples. This is something all Sri Lankans need to think about.”
Jayawardene further explained that keeping elephants captive is cruel regardless of how the elephant is being treated, because elephants in captivity are always subject to distress because they are wild animals being held against their will.
Commenting on the future, Jayawardene shared his hope that there would be resistance to elephants in captivity going forward and an end to the practice in his lifetime. He explained that despite elephants being a part of our culture since ancient times, the fact that we now know more about what captive elephants go through and are followers of Gautama Buddha, who practised compassion above all else, will lead us to understand that we cannot justify cruelty in his name.
Jayawardene further explained that many practices for keeping captive elephants hark back to generating revenue and that many of the global standards for dealing with elephants in captivity were set in the 1950s when our relationship with animals and our understanding of them was very different, and that globally, these standards began evolving for the better 25 years ago, adding that other countries have long since stopped holding elephants in captivity. “Our relationship with captive elephants is not good,” Jayawardene said, adding: “The practice needs to be completely phased out.”
Photos: Naveed Rozais