Dismal state of Dehiwela "Animal holding facility"
by Hasini Pannila
A zoo is a place of relaxation and most importantly education. It is a place where children should be taken, to learn about how diverse and complex their planet earth really is.
I had the misfortune of visiting the Dehiwala Zoo or as I like to call it, the Dehiwala animal holding facility.
I was truly shocked and appaled at what I thought would be a nice day out with my family. Instead it turned out to be a day of sadness and disgust at my own countrymen’s disrespect of animal rights. Majestic tigers and bears were confined to concrete walls with zero stimulation.
I was truly shocked and appaled at what I thought would be a nice day out with my family. Instead it turned out to be a day of sadness and disgust at my own countrymen’s disrespect of animal rights. Majestic tigers and bears were confined to concrete walls with zero stimulation.
Intelligent and highly social monkeys were housed in cramped wire cages all alone. Never in my life had I ever seen primates housed alone. Everyone knows that they are social creatures that require interaction with other members of their own kind. Clearly the Dehiwala Zoo did not.
I understand that in the end the real concept of a zoo is putting animals on show for the amusement of humans. However in this case, a little care could have been taken in ensuring that these "show pieces" were taken care of.
Sri Lanka should not have a zoo if people are incapable of providing the proper care necessary to make the animals as comfortable as possible. I was sad to hear that the zoo had recently acquired two white tigers. I truly hope that these tigers are housed better than their orange counterparts.
My last memory, as I visited Sri Lanka in 2008, of the majestic Bengal tiger was one of a thin and anxious animal pacing inside a concrete box. It was a sad sight, and not one that should be seen at a national zoo!
The most important point, I think, that should be made is about the human visitors themselves. I was appalled to see people blatantly feeding animals their biscuits right in front of a sign requesting people to refrain from doing that very thing.
The zoo needs to provide more enforcement regarding the feeding of animals. I understand a hippo died from too much plastic consumption. That is just an unacceptable claim for a national zoo to make.
The place was overrun with couples hiding in every possible nook and cranny of a so-called "family-friendly" environment and I am disgusted with myself to even have to continue to talk about such terrible behaviour.
I felt so embarrassed to have my little brother witness these public displays of affection in such an environment. What will he take back with him to school as his visit to the zoo?
Sri Lanka needs to take drastic measures in ensuring that this animal-holding facility is turned from a hell hole into a place of joy and learning.
As a Buddhist country, we believe in karma. We also know that according to Lord Buddha, everyone is connected through samsara. My mother is my mother this birth, next birth who knows. The same idea goes for these poor animals. Who knows whose friend or relative they once were?
Having said that, people should not need a religious guideline to understand how to take care of or respect another life. It should be something that comes from the heart, and unfortunately it does not show in this context.
Now that the war is over, I read that tourism to the country has increased. I really do not think that the zoo is at all prepared to receive true animal lovers from the world.
Sri Lanka is trying to change the view of the world about Sri Lanka. What kind of an image will a foreigner take when he or she visits the National Zoo? Of course the landscaping is beautiful, no doubt. That is where the beauty ends.
Actions speak louder than words. The beautiful promotional pictures that lure in tourists become redundant when someone sees the sorry state of these animals. It is a poor reflection on the kind and compassionate people of this island.
My heartfelt message to the Dehiwala Zoo and the people of Sri Lanka is that if you cannot afford to look after animals the way they should be looked after, it is in the best interests of the animals to not have a zoo. It is disrespectful and cruel to the animals. To keep them in such terrible conditions does nothing to teach our children about the joys of taking care of our four-legged friends and ensuring their well-being.
The act of taking care of an animal, helps a child learn many things. Responsibility, the act of sharing ones love and compassion with another being, and learning to respect another creature’s needs and life. I feel very strongly about the children being protected and given prominence because they are tomorrow’s leaders.
We are trying to build a base of well-rounded and compassionate citizens regardless of race or religion. A child’s mind is not clouded with religious and ethnic differences. In the Sri Lankan media, I hear a lot of talk about building bridges between communities and promoting inter-religious harmony. This is like starting school from the PhD level. You need to start school from junior kindergarten. Start with the children. I feel that people are trying to rebuild the nation from the top down. It should be the reverse.
A well-rounded child is a solid base for a rock solid nation. By taking care of a child’s needs, we can avoid costly wars in the future by breeding egalitarianism and respect for another’s life. People may feel that a zoo is insignificant in the grand scale of things, but it is truly a stepping stone for a child to go from ordinary to extraordinary. Not only zoos, but museums and other places of learning are so vital to complete a child’s appreciation for his or her place in the world. This understanding will help breed tolerance and respect towards each other and ultimately stop wars.
I am sad to say that I wish I never stepped into the Dehiwala zoo and I will never suggest that people go there unless they want to sneak a kiss with their lover in a dark corner next to the chimp that is pining for company in a decrepit cage. What a nice sight!
(Hasini Pannila is from Toronto, Canada)
13 Comments
Thanks Hasini Pannila, you are a true Buddhist. The can of worms is now open, I hope Sri Lankan government will take action to address this dreadful situation.
Dehiwela zoo, like other 10,000 zoos around mother Earth, is a symbol of mans cruelty and sadism towards other living creatures. When it was started in 1936, the British had no intention of ever leaving Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Sadly 60 years of independence has failed to close down this hell hole. As a child, I was taken to this horrible prison. The whole class of Grade Five lingered for 6 hours gawking at these defenceless creatures. It was suppose to be an educational tour. Even then, forty years ago, it was damp, pitiless and pointless. It is time this hell on earth is closed down, and Sri Lanka to lead the way for other nations to do the same.
Now, let me expand on what you have written. How many animals die while they are captured? How many suffer and die in transit? Have anybody heard of Zoochosis? It is a condition that lead zoo animals to self destruction. There are many cases of zoo dolphins killing them selves by banging their heads against hard surface. How many animals are choked to death by eating plastics and rubber products thrown at them? How many are stoned by onlookers? How many zoos sell their excess animals to slaughter houses?
The only argument which is put forward for continuation of zoos is captive breeding. This is a flawed argument. Unhappy, unhealthy animals either do not breed or they produce diminished offspring. It is impossible to release captive bred animals to wild. Rare captive breeding programs may be needed to address the cases of endangered animals. For this we don't need zoos. Small breeding areas away from humans are needed. (Cases like Golded lion tamarin, Red wolf or Przewalski's horse).Some action is urgently needed to close down the Dehiwela zoo. Mother Earth does not belong to humans. It belong to all living creatures including trees.
Not surprising considering the treatment meted out to Sarath Fonseka, supporters and Ekneligoda.Also what about the people being detained without charges etc.
Harsini,
You thoughts on the IDP camps? any different?
Ivar
This sorry excuse for a "zoological garden" should have been shut down years ago when Lyn De Alwis passed on the baton - it 's a horrendous place and like the writer says, no one gives a damn about the poor inabitants.
Thanks Hasini for your heartfelt words on the welfare of animals in Dehiwela zoo.
Words like yours, coming from a fresh viewpoint; less tarnished by bloody war and difficulties of daily life that a common Sri Lankan endures daily, is exactly what our country needs if it is to succeed in building an egalitarian society in the next decade or so.
Sri Lankan states attitude to welfare of vulnerable people has been poor for a long time. Having said that we should highlight the positives on which we can build a brighter future. One of them is free education and books.
Keep up your good work
Selvan
You should have seen the condition of the IDP after the last war. You would be realising that those animals were given better place compare to the early ones.
Dear Hasini,
Sorry to say there is no value for humans in srilanka, they dont give a damn about animals. Sinhalease are not capable of running a anything, how can you expect them to run animal sanctuary.
When I visited the Toronto Zoo late last year, I thought the now criticised Dehiwala Zoo, compared favourably. I was surprised the Tasmanian Devil I came very much to see (and listed in their catalogue had been taken off months ago. The staff did not know - until I reminded them from a telephone call within) Relatives and friends from Sri Lanka who joined me at Scarborough - agreed. Animals or birds in captivity often sadden many - the writer and I being no exception.
ISS
Hasini , I really commend you for your article.
When one refers to a "caged animal" in human terms it implies just that "prisoners".How can animal and birds born to be free live in cages having not committed a single crime. The modern concepts of Zoos are where animals and birds are given a more freer environment, although the zoo concept should be banned completely.We have a minister of environment and ministers, and ministers all going to temples with flowers . They can fool the people but can they fool the deities they are paying reverence to.They are the biggest hippocrites and the biggest fools. Do they even let a dog cross the road in their speeding vehicles. Forget about animals to them. the animals are more "humane". What a paradox.
The world is full of 'unsatisfactoryness'. This is one of them.
Dear Hasini akki,
Thank you Bunny,
for the best article I have ever read in my life. I feel just the same.Not only at the Dehiwala zoo, I have seen poor animals being troubled by humon beings in so many places.
Although the subject matter may seem somewhat important, Hasini, you have obviously failed to realize that Sri Lanka has more important issues to concern itself with than cage sizes/ set ups at the Dehiwala Zoo. It is a country that is attempting to recover from a civil war, in which many civilians and military personnel were killed. Many Sri Lankans are still being held in IDP camps and you are complaining about seeing some animals in cages at a zoo??! Let me also remind you that one of the definitions of a Zoo IS an animal holding facility.
You're complaining about seeing public displays of affection?! Do you not embrace your mother or father in public? Is that NOT a public display of affection? Public displays of affection be it with parents or lovers are commonplace in modern day Sri Lanka, as in any modern country! Get used to it!
What about public displays of oppression such as those present in the IDP camps! What is your view on that??! There are far more pressing issues than your disappointment with the Dehiwala Zoo, in fact you should be ashamed that you took it upon yourself to insult your own country in order to satisfy your selfish desire to rant on about Animal Rights. The worst part about all this is that you NEVER attempted to find a solution to your "problem".
I commend Laknetha for including Hasini Pannila's article about the inhumane treatment of animals at the Dehiwela zoo.True,there are pressing issues to be dealt with in Sri Lanka,but the concern shown in the article for helpless animals shows that our human consciousness has not been so numbed and desensitized by recent atrocities in the country.I hope readers will be moved to protest on behalf of these voiceless creatures and by extension, on behalf of human voices of grief and suffering that have gone unheard or ignored.