Sedated Elephant fell in Mahabulankulama, Anuradhapura
In early March, an elephant with majestic physical features in the Mahabulankulama area suffered a leg injury, reportedly due to contact with an explosive device. Since then, the elephant had been receiving treatment and spent a significant amount of time submerged in water, seeking relief. Although the elephant showed signs of recovery, it later began damaging paddy fields in the area.
Due to this, villagers protested and demanded that the elephant be relocated to a different area. However, experts stress that transporting an elephant—especially one in a weakened state—to the Horowpathana Elephant Holding Ground can be severely detrimental to its life. As a compromise, with the consent of the community, arrangements were made to keep the elephant temporarily confined on a local landowner’s property, where it could be fed and monitored until recovery.
Despite this, some villagers later insisted on transferring the elephant to Horowpathana, possibly influenced by personal agendas. Following this pressure, the elephant was sedated in preparation for relocation. However, the trauma of the process caused it to collapse and become unable to stand again. Now in a severely weakened state, the elephant's ability to recover is uncertain.
This unfortunate situation underscores the dire consequences of poor decision-making and the lack of environmental awareness among certain community members. Many wild elephants with leg injuries endure immense suffering, and one must ask whether better, more informed choices will be made in the future to prevent such tragedies.
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