Episode 22 – Flood Plain National Park

We were on the same path

I joined the Department of Wildlife Conservation as a beat officer in 1998. I was transferred to Polonnaruwa in 2006, where Flood Plains National Park is located.

It was a Sunday, when criminal actions like animal hunting are typically committed. Four of us headed in that direction to visit Flood Plain National Park in Manampitiya. Beat Officer Sarath Kumar, Forest Ranger T. Wijesinghe, and Ranger Nimal were with me. We only had a 12-bore gun, three rounds of ammo, and a few elephant shots where I was in charge of the crew.

We received phone call from the office after traveling about a kilometer into the bush that a 12-year-old child had been killed by an elephant in Muslim Colony, a village close to Flood Plain. Thoughts of returning to the workplace crossed our minds, but since the village was closer, we decided to go right away. In situations like this, individuals frequently become irate with wildlife officers. So, we found the phone number of someone we know in the village and talked to them about the situation. He explained to us that in accordance with Muslim traditions, the body should be buried the same day, thus the villagers were getting ready for the funeral. We had faith in that person and there was a feeling that the elephant that killed the child might be nearby. Therefore,  the elephant should be chased. The four of us walked to the Muslim Colony.

According to the person who gave us the phone call, the local people were in funeral rituals, and a lot of people were there. We approached the place and asked where the elephant was. They pointed to a forest block about five hundred meters away. When we went there, the people of the village followed us. Although people were asked not to come with us, they were not  headed.

We saw the elephant in the forest block. A canal on one side. The day before that, it had rained well, so the canal was full. The village on the other side. On the other hand, chasing  the elephant across the canal is dangerous. There is a  possibility of coming back without crossing the canal. We thought of driving the elephant into the jungle by avoiding the canal and neither towards the village nor where the elephants are. For that we used  two or three elephant shots.

Instead of going to the forest, the elephant ran towards the funeral place in the village. We shouted and tried to drive the elephant away but it didn’t work. We shouted for people to run. The gun was in Wijesinghe’s hand. He fired a shot at the elephant. It didn’t hit the elephant. There was also a second shot. It might  had  hit the elephant’s leg. The elephant screamed and ran towards us.

Instead of going to the forest, the elephant ran towards the funeral place in the village. We shouted and tried to drive the elephant away but it didn’t work. We shouted for people to run. The gun was in Wijesinghe’s hand. He fired a shot at the elephant. It didn’t hit the elephant. There was also a second shot. It might  had  hit the elephant’s leg. The elephant screamed and ran towards us.

For a surprise, the elephant stopped about ten meters away from us for the God’s sake. Wijesingha was on the other side with the gun in his hand, waiting to see what he would do. If he shoots again, the elephant will come to us. Wijesingha told us to escape from there and run towards the funeral home.

Even when we moved from there, the elephant did not make even a sound. He was looking down.

After about an hour, the elephant went to the forest. If the elephant came forward that day, we would be finished. If the gun was in the hands of a new person, he would fire a shot. If we shot, the elephant would come forward and hit us. Our lives were saved due to the awareness of Wijesinghe who had the gun in his hand.

The people of the village did not say anything to us after seeing the incident we faced. We also attended the funeral and went back. The boy had gone to collect wood apple in the morning and was attacked by the elephant. I want to say that animals are not like humans. Don’t hold grudges. It seems that even if this animal was hit by a bullet, there was no hatred towards us. Today Wijesinghe is no more with us.