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Sri Lankan elephants eating garbage, fighting plastic bags
Polonnaruwa (Sri Lanka), Sept 17: In this tropical island nation where 19 million people share space with about 3,000 wild elephants, forests are dwindling and the huge beasts are entering villagers to forage in garbage dumps.
Polonnaruwa (Sri Lanka), Sept 17: In this tropical island nation where 19 million people share space with about 3,000 wild elephants, forests are dwindling and the huge beasts are entering villagers to forage in garbage dumps.
The sad state of Sri Lankan elephants is not unique.
The elephant population in Asia has fallen from hundreds of
thousands at the turn of the 20th century to only 16,000 in
11 countries today, according to the United Nations.
Hoping to find a solution to the plight of the elephant -- whether the Asian or the larger African variety, in the wild or in captivity -- more than 150 delegates from Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States were expected for a three-day conference beginning Friday.
The conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, is backed by the US-based international elephant foundation.
Local residents and international environmentalists are shocked by scenes such as those that take place near the tourist town of Polonnaruwa, an ancient city famed for its ruins.
Recently, a five-ton elephant, balancing on three legs, used its left front foot to kick a plastic garbage bag across the ground. Seeing it fall open, several other elephants, surrounded by dozens of cows and hundreds of crows, started to chow down.
The variety was good: rice laced with curry, rotting bread, cooked vegetables, fruit and even green chilies, a must in Sri Lankan cuisine. Discarded flower garlands helped round out the menu.
Bureau Report
Hoping to find a solution to the plight of the elephant -- whether the Asian or the larger African variety, in the wild or in captivity -- more than 150 delegates from Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States were expected for a three-day conference beginning Friday.
The conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital, is backed by the US-based international elephant foundation.
Local residents and international environmentalists are shocked by scenes such as those that take place near the tourist town of Polonnaruwa, an ancient city famed for its ruins.
Recently, a five-ton elephant, balancing on three legs, used its left front foot to kick a plastic garbage bag across the ground. Seeing it fall open, several other elephants, surrounded by dozens of cows and hundreds of crows, started to chow down.
The variety was good: rice laced with curry, rotting bread, cooked vegetables, fruit and even green chilies, a must in Sri Lankan cuisine. Discarded flower garlands helped round out the menu.
Bureau Report