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Crowds are asked to behave responsibly at Esala Perahera
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By Dilushi Wijesinghe
A top veterinarian closely associated with the welfare of elephants in the Kandy Esala Perahera has urged the public to act cautiously to prevent creating panic among elephants in the pageant.
Professor Ashoka Dangolla, of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the Peradeniya University, told the Sunday Times that sudden movements trigger the elephants, especially at night, as their eyesight is relatively weaker than when in broad daylight and their sensitive hearing contributes to their being startled.
“We have warned people not to point lasers at elephants. Now they do everything other than that,” he said, referring to the public blowing whistles and beaming flashlights.
He said that the very people who spoke against chaining the tuskers are now questioning the reason why the elephants are not being chained in case their behaviour goes beyond control.
He said 64–65 elephants were brought, but not all will participate as the ones that are unwell or have gone into musth remain within the premises of the temple.
On the second day of the Kumbal Perahera, on Tuesday, at the Temple of the Tooth, two elephants ran amok. Claims have been made that irresponsible human actions triggered the elephants’ rampage.
A party horn blown by a child was said to have startled the two elephants belonging to the Vishnu Devalaya.
The chaos resulted in an injured woman being given medical attention in the Kandy Hospital and several individuals jumping into the Kandy Lake to prevent being injured. They were rescued with the help of police lifeguards.
However, such incidents have not refrained the public from sitting in the scorching sun for hours, reserving seats for the best view.
Furthermore, the Kandy Municipal Council is providing drinking water tanks and restrooms.
Notable numbers of foreigners and Sri Lankans alike have attended the perahera in the past few days, as it took place after a lapse of four years.
Kandy Hoteliers Association president, Rodney Armstrong, told the Sunday Times that there has been a 60% to 65% increase in tourism compared with the past few years. “There has been an improvement, but not as much as we expected,” he said.
However, they assume that hotels will be packed to capacity by next month during the Asia Cup.
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