Corruption Continues in Sri Lanka’s National Parks

Another wild elephant stolen from family and found tightly bound, unable to move, terrified and alone, while the politically-savvy wildlife traders ALMOST made off with another innocent soul. The elephant’s mother, quite probably killed in what should have been her safe home of Udawalawe National Park, has yet to be found, and only an anonymous tip allowed this calf to be taken into protective custody. There are many high-profile dirty hands involved in this horrific ongoing trade to supply sentient beings to temples, and we implore you to never, ever visit a temple that has elephants. Stay away from the zoo of course, from riding, from hotels that use elephants for photos and weddings, and from Pinnevala Elephant “Orphanage”, all complicit in this ongoing tragedy. Again and again the wealthy elite and politically corrupted are protected, while they continue to abuse and kill the most precious souls whom seek only to live in peace. We salute the Rangers who managed to get this baby to temporary safety, and yet have dwindling hope of a future even remotely close to the one deserved. We weep. And the fight continues…

EDITED UPDATE, NOV 11: According to Sarasi Wijertne, it is said that “The elephant had initially been in the care of the Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawa before it had been released to the wild about one year ago”. So the plot thickens… This time around, the 6 year old elephant had been tranquilized and tied to a tree, but capture was thwarted when an army patrol nearby saw people running away. So this poor juvenile, Kalana, had already endured the loss of family back in the “original rescue”, to then be housed at the ETH, only to become a victim of attempted kidnapping again, a year after release. Without question there was at least one vet and multiple criminal politicians deeply involved. The illegal wildlife trade is thriving in Sri Lanka, escalating in the hands of those who could, if they were not criminals disguised as monks and politicians, save these majestic beings who want nothing more than to be what they were born to be: elephants in the wild, free from the whims of man’s greed.

Photo credit: WNPS