Source

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, September 25, 2003: Elephant experts here have turned to Asia’s reverence of the beasts to push conservation amid calls for a cull to tackle growing wild jumbo populations in Africa. Ian Douglas-Hamilton, an authority on African elephants said religious and cultural practices in Asia shows the peaceful coexistence between people and elephants amid increasing pressure on habitats. He is fascinated by the place elephants have in religion in some Asian countries and in the Hindu and Buddhist cultures. He said that the battle for space should not result in the elephants losing out as their survival was linked to human existence. “If we don’t leave enough space for elephants, we will eventually not leave enough space for ourselves,” he said after opening a symposium on “Human-Elephant Relationships and Conflicts.” Papers presented at the meeting suggested allowing tourists to hunt wild elephants in Africa to maintain its woody vegetation and use the proceeds to conserve elephants elsewhere. Most experts here opposed the idea. African elephants are found in 34 countries while in Asia only 13 countries have wild herds. Douglas-Hamilton argued that conservationists should ensure there is no conflict like the rapid invasion of elephant habitats by man in the decade of the 90s and up ’til today. In Sri Lanka, the battle between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels has taken its toll on wild elephants. The Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust based here, a co-organiser of the symposium, said an estimated 200 to 300 wild elephants had been displaced by the war. The Tamil Tiger rebels had in the early stages of the war spared wild elephants, but when the animals stormed jungle bases in search of food and water, and drank up the entire supply of water the rebels had for a week, they started shooting the elephants when firing in the air failed. Land mines were also the cause of agonizing deaths after having their trunks and legs blown off by anti-personnel mines. Elephants are considered a sacred animal in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the Buddhist world. Elephants are also revered by Hindus who use caparisoned pachyderms at temple pageants.

Post Views: 542