The population of Sri Lankan elephants has dropped roughly 65% since the turn of the 19th century, despite efforts by Sri Lankan conservation groups. Following these beliefs, the Sri Lankan Buddhists have captured many of their native elephants for participation in religious ceremonies and celebrations, as personal symbols of wealth, and as a source of country pride. This blog post will focus primarily on human capture and religious symbolism.īuddhists, who make up 70% of the island’s population, believe that elephants are the religious servants of Buddha and that Buddha was once incarnated as an elephant. This has saved the Sri Lankan elephants from being primary targets in the vicious ivory market, but they have instead fallen victim to human confrontation and capture, severe deforestation, and religious symbolism that dates back centuries. It is important to note that the Sri Lankan subspecies of elephants is unique compared to others, as the Sri Lankan elephant does not grow the traditionally coveted tusks of the well-known African elephant–likely a result of islandic genetic bottlenecking. While the poaching and illegal tusk harvesting of elephants is often discussed around the world, the issues faced by the Sri Lankan elephants are lesser known. Issues regarding the ethical treatment and management of endangered Sri Lankan elephants ( elephas maximus maximus) is not a new topic on the small island country. The widely circulated photos have caught the attention of Western-based organizations, most notably People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and has left many wondering, “how could this happen?” Sadly, the emaciation seen in Tikiri is not uncommon amongst performing elephants, as they are often given inadequate food and water during performance seasons to avoid urination and defecation in front of crowds. Many were shocked to see the elephant’s state when not adorned in her costume that covered her teary eyes from the bright lights, her alarmingly slim body, and her shackled ankles. The images showed seventy-year-old Tikiri collapsed on the ground, with bones protruding from her hips and ribs. Tikiri was one of sixty elephants that performed during this year’s festival, in which the elephants were draped in intricate costumes and rode for several kilometers a day for ten consecutive days amidst claustrophobic crowds and deafening fireworks. The annual festival held in Kandy, Sri Lanka celebrates the country’s possession of the prized tooth relic of Lord Buddha by featuring dancers, fireworks, and lavishly decorated elephants. Buddhist religious leaders and festival-goers have recently become the subject of worldwide criticism after photos of Tikiri, an emaciated Sri Lankan performance elephant, surfaced during the Kandy Esala Perahera festival.

Buddhism elephant festival