|
|
|
 |
 |
|||
Eleven baby elephants at the Ath Athuru Sevana (Elephant Transit Home) at Uda Walawe are in need of public assistance for their upkeep. “The upkeep of a baby elephant requires around Rs. 10,000 per month for milk and medicine and out of the 28 baby elephants at the Home, only 17 are supported by Foster Parents,” Jayantha Jayewardene, Project Director, Protected Area Management and Wildlife Conservation Project said. The Department
of Wild Life Conservation (DWLC) introduced a Foster Parent Scheme for
baby jumbos to support the Home in the costs incurred in feeding and
providing medical facilities to the elephants. The
foster parents joining the scheme are allowed to name their adoption, take
photographs with them and finally personally release them to the wilds.
Among the foster parents are schoolchildren. The
Elephant Transit Home owned by the DWLC was established on October 6, 1995
at the Udawalawe National Park to shelter baby elephants found abandoned,
stranded, orphaned or wounded in the jungles from all parts of the island.
The “babies” are treated at the Home and looked after till they are
fit enough to be released back to the wild. “Most
of them have been found in pits and dry wells dug in agricultural lands;
being orphaned when the mother is killed; or wounded by trap guns,” Mr.
Jayewardene said. “The
difference between ‘Ath Athuru Sevena’ and the elephant orphanage in
Pinnawala is that at the Transit Home these baby elephants once
cared for are released to the wilds when they reach a certain age, for
this reason we discourage them from getting attached to humans,”
he added. These
baby jumbos attach themselves to small groups, and they are released to
the jungles in the same group they attach themselves to. Before release
they are tied with a Radio Collar to help the Staff at the Ath Athuru
Sevana to monitor their movements and progress. “All
the 17 baby jumbos released so far have adapted themselves to life in
their natural habitats, and are doing well,” Mr. Jayewardene said. The Wildlife Conservation Department invites all animal lovers and environmentalists as well as children to contribute in whatever way they could for the upkeep of these babies. Related Stories:
|
Today's Stories
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contact Information: Send mail to 