ELEPHANT TO ARMENIA WITH OR WITHOUT PERMISSION?
By Isuri Kaviratne
Sunday Times.lk
Oct 21 2007
Sri Lanka
The Cabinet has approved the gifting of an elephant to Armenia
while Wild Life officials were still studying the suitability of the
weather and other conditions for the animal. The move has drawn angry
responses from various groups closely following the issue of gifting
the elephant Asokamala.
The Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES)
permission should be given by the Wildlife Director to exchange an
animal with a foreign country without which, according to international
law, the exchange would be illegal. Environment Minister Champika
Ranawaka told The Sunday Times that the Ministry is still considering
the suitability of the weather and the condition of the zoo before
issuing the permission to send the nine-year-old elephant to Armenia.
"We inquired from the Armenian government about the condition of
the zoo and the weather but we still haven’t received a reply," the
Minister said. According to internet researches on weather conditions
in Armenia the average temperature is +25C in July and -10C in January.
Mr. Ranawaka said before implementing the policy decision taken by
the Cabinet, the Ministry will be looking into the law of the country
and international law regarding exchanges of animals and then give
CITES permission. "Without the CITIES permission, no one can send
the elephant," he said.
Wildlife Director Ananda Wijesuriya said that under-extended programme
the Cabinet has decided to send the elephant but still papers had
to be submitted after which he would study the condition of the zoo
the elephant would be going to before giving CITIES permission since
there were objections to the sending of the animal.
However, he said he had been informed that the zoo already contains
facilities an elephant requires as there is an elephant already
living but assured that confirmation from Armenia was being awaited
that those facilities fulfil international standards."Only if it does
will we give permission," the Director said.
National Zoological Gardens Deputy Director Dhammika Malsinghe
said that though the elephant cannot be sent to Armenia without the
permission of the Wild Life director, preparations are being made to
send the elephant after October 25.
‘Sathva Mithra’ (Friends of animals) president said the Cabinet had
agreed to send the elephant to Armenia despite serious warnings by
humanitarian organizations which were based on researched facts of the
unsuitable conditions in Armenia and the Yerevan Zoo to which Asokamala
would be going. Research carried out by Indian humanitarian groups,
when the Indian Government decided to send an elephant to Armenia,
showed that this same Yerevan Zoo, did not have adequate space to
support an elephant and the sub-zero conditions prevalent there
for four to six months of the year were unsuitable for an elephant,
giving no opportunity for the animal to exercise.
Well known animal activist Maneka Gandhi too had told Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh that almost all the elephants acquired by
the Yerevan zoo had died.