COLOMBO – Kavantissa, a famous wild tusker in Sri Lanka, died after being shot, leading to significant public sadness and criticism of wildlife management. In his last days, various groups including politicians, Buddhist monks, wildlife fans, and veterinarians joined forces to try to save him. A picture of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, known for his love of elephants, kissing Kavantissa’s head became popular online. Environment minister Dhammika Patabendi also visited the elephant during heavy rain, which drew attention. Buddhist monks recited traditional blessings, and businessman Dudley Sirisena offered to pay for treatment, even arranging for a veterinary team from abroad to come in. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa also paid respects to Kavantissa. The elephant’s condition caused many people in Sri Lanka to search online for information about him, as seen in Google Trends data showing increased interest in the name “Kavantissa” after news of his health became known. Despite the efforts of wildlife veterinarians, Kavantissa went into cardiac arrest on the evening of October 16. Some senior veterinary surgeons were there and one even tried to perform CPR, but unfortunately, these attempts were unsuccessful, and Kavantissa passed away around 6:18 p.m. His death led to widespread sorrow and anger, with many calling for accountability from the Department of Wildlife Conservation. This information was originally shared on Mongabay. What are your thoughts on the response to Kavantissa’s death?
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Source: Mongabay Animals, by Dilrukshi Handunnetti