Elephants have been adored, admired and considered an essential part of all religious and non-religious ceremonies across Asia since ancient times.  Their population have ever since come down from millions, thousands of years ago to just a few thousands in 2018.  Several animal rights groups have expressed their concern on the dwindling Elephant population across the world and Asia in particular.  But all their cries are never heard and no serious actions taken to permanently end cruelty towards animals and their captivity.  This like many other issues goes back to lack of appreciation for all components of environment we live in. 

For example, the most recent statistics from Sri Lanka is rather shocking.  There are numerous laws to control animal products or cruelty to animals.  In spite of these laws that are there only on paper, about 150-250 elephants are killed annually by farmers attributing attack on crops or destruction of property.   As a result, Sri Lanka?s elephant population has dropped significantly from 12000 in 1900 to just over 7000 in 2018.   

The trend is similar in India where illegal trades have managed to escape the watchful eyes and as a result have led to drop in Elephant population.  The root cause for all these is lack of proper education at school level on how animals are important for the survival of our ecosystem.  There is no proactive monitoring of such crimes towards elephants though any form of communication.  But thanks to social media, some of these cruelty to Elephants are brought to light through facebook or youtube by individuals only to be shared or liked. 

What is the follow up action is still a big question?  By the time actions are taken on these illegal trades on elephant tusks or violence by private owners, it may just be too late for any action.  With the elephants in forests, many of them are poached for their skin or tusks.   Bribery is the main source of income in forest offices and as a result there is little that a common citizen could do other than just expressing their anger.  Our voices are simply ignored.  

Countless number of petitions from environmentalists and animal lovers lie in government offices collecting dust over years.  No response is given to those complaints and more so, action is taken on those government officers who favor the control of illegal trades.  Fearing either loss of job or disciplinary actions, the officers turn a blind eye on these issues. It is time to think through this as a collective issue affecting our ecosystem.   And lessons on environmental protection should be made mandatory in schools and colleges.  In some geographies across the world, enforcement seem to be the only way in which such crimes could be controlled.   There is less time to think and we should act fast.