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Great escape
By Athula Bandara, our Anuradhapura Corr.
The killer elephant had terrorized the area for far too long. The villagers of Meegalewa in remote Anuradhapura eking out a threadbare existence by ploughing their fields had no other threat to their existence, barring this wild beast. The very mention of the particular elephant roaming the area, petrified them.

In this calm quiet village, the only disquieting element was the wild elephant's presence. The villagers claim that five persons including a school teacher were killed by the elephant. Besides the killings, they could not forget that over a hundred houses, mostly tiny farmers' huts were destroyed by the beast from time to time.

"You cannot imagine the kind of destruction caused by this beast. From nowhere it appears and begins attacking everything in sight. Our houses, the fields we so carefully ploughed are destroyed within minutes. Just recently it destroyed a poor villager's hut in the Mahawelitenna area" complained villagers to the Wildlife Department officers.

"Thaniya, or the 'loner' was known for the devastation it caused to this tiny farming village. And despite their efforts, they had no way to control the animal that appeared from time to time. Appeals to authorities also fell on deaf ears.

On April 16, fate took a hand. Just three days after the new year, people were still in a mood to celebrate. Unknown to the happy village, the beast began roaming the area, and when the news reached them, it was too late. Paralyzed with fear, some villagers rushed to the nearby forest seeking refuge. At dusk, the elephant began attacking a farmer's house and the farmer's family fled to the next village, fearing that even the forest was not safe enough.

The neighbours who came to the support of the distressed family lit fire crackers to chase the beast, which in its haste to escape fell into an abandoned well. Slowly, the tale of terror was coming to an end.

Three days later, villagers found the killer elephant writhing in pain in the abandoned well. The Wildlife Department officials were immediately informed as the people could not rescue the animal without their assistance. According to the officials, the loner had gun shot marks, festered wounds and was partially blind.

Soon, a new journey began for the killer elephant that terrorized an entire village. Large numbers gathered on either side of the road as Department officials transported the animal elsewhere with the hope of releasing it at a national park.

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