A gentle giant lies fallen

Saturday, 13 October 2018 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Srilal Miththapala

Two days ago, yet another elephant was knocked by a train on the Batticaloa line. This was the third such incident in a space of one week, leaving behind a trail of mangled remains of some seven wild elephants, while the authorities still discuss and debate the problem.

This particular elephant did not succumb immediately to its injuries and had hobbled closer to the road, mortally wounded. It had laid there suffering and slowly dying, with no help from any of the Government veterinary surgeons.

Even in death, this gentle giant lies forgotten, on the side of the road, with no one to give it a decent burial, while its body slowly decays. I can only quote the great Mahatma Gandhi’s words: “The progress of a nation can be judged by the way it treats its environment and the animals”…and hang my head in shame.