With the elephant playing a major role in Sri Lanka’s natural asset portfolio, can the wild elephant be positioned as an icon for Sri Lanka Tourism will be the focus of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Monthly Lecture today by industry veteran Srilal Miththapala at 6 p.m. at the Cinema Hall, BMICH, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7
The lecture is open to all members and non-members, admission free.
WNPS said the island of Sri Lanka is one of the few places where a large number of elephants can still be seen in the wild. There are some who estimate this number at being in the region of 6,000-6,500; by far the highest density per area of any nation in Asia.
From time immemorial, elephants have played an important role in the religion and culture of Sri Lanka. The elephant is featured in many Buddhist stories and texts, while ancient kings used tamed elephants for war, ceremonies and work.
Even today, the world famous annual Kandy Perahera, the grand pageant in the hill capital of Kandy, with all of its gaily caparisoned elephants, is an important feature of the tourist calendar.
Over and above this, Sri Lanka is the one place on Earth where one can see both of the largest mammals in the world, one terrestrial and the other marine – the elephant and the whale!
With peace returning to the country, Sri Lanka is beginning to see an influx of a large number of tourists seeking a more wholesome experience. The recently launched 2025 Vision document talks of “…developing world-class management of Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural assets”.
The presenter Miththapala is a former President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and the former Chief Executive Officer of Serendib Leisure Management Ltd. He is a keen environmentalist and wildlife enthusiast with a particular interest in elephants. Unafraid to challenge the authorities on their failure to maximise on the biodiversity and other natural attractions that Sri Lanka has to offer, Miththapala has long been an advocate for branding Sri Lanka’s wildlife and presenting it in such a manner that it will encourage tourists to return to this country again and again to enjoy its beautiful wild heritage. For apart from the aesthetic and ethical reasons for wildlife conservation, he has also studied and quantified the enormous financial benefits that wild animals, particularly wild elephants, generate annually in earning foreign exchange for this country. They more than pay their way.
Source : FT
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