• Animal rights activists advocate phasing out Dehiwala to Ridiyagama 

Animal rights activists continue to raise serious concerns about the welfare of animals at the Dehiwala Zoo while the National Zoological Gardens Department states that it is engaged in programmes to reduce the density within the zoo and to prioritise conservation through rewilding programmes. 

The welfare and living conditions of animals at the Dehiwala Zoo have been a point of concern for many animal rights activists and the general public in recent years, with calls for a closure of the zoo coming to the limelight recently as well. However, the National Zoological Gardens Department maintains that it plays an important role in ex-situ conservation efforts within the country. 

Rewilding programmes 

National Zoological Gardens Department Director General Ranjan Marasinghe said that the department had started prioritising ex-situ conservation and breeding for rewilding purposes. 

“We have started a breeding and rewilding project for endangered, nearly endangered, and threatened animals. One of the main animals we are looking at is the Asoka barb fish – a point endemic fish in Sri Lanka. We are looking at breeding leopards artificially too. We have set up a rewilding conservation centre for the rusty-spotted cat at our farm,” said Marasinghe. 

He added that the department also played a significant role in the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance by being the authority to give expert opinion in legal cases. 

“We are increasing capacity building and are looking at climate change adaptation programmes by working with animals which are facing habitat sensitivity such as the pangolin.

“Therefore, we are breeding not for display purposes but for rewilding purposes alongside the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).” 

Reducing density 

Marasinghe further said that the department was engaged in a programme to reduce the density within the Dehiwala Zoo. 

“By density we mean the number of animals within a certain area. We are trying as much as possible to keep animals in big areas and keep them cageless where possible. This cannot be done at once. We are sending some to the Ridiyagama Safari Park and some to Pinnawala. We don’t breed for display purposes unless needed as we don’t want to go beyond our capacity,” he said. 

In addition to the Dehiwala Zoo, the National Zoological Gardens Department also manages the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, the Pinnawala Zoo, and the Ridiyagama Safari Park. 

Conservation 

Meanwhile, environmentalist Dr. Jagath Gunawardana told The Sunday Morning that there were two types of conservation. 

“There is ex-situ and in-situ conservation. In-situ conservation means conserving animals in their natural habitats while ex-situ efforts are in other conditions like zoos. To do ex-situ conservation properly, the Government should focus more on channelling resources and planning towards it,” he said. 

However, Marasinghe maintained that funding issues had only arisen during the pandemic: “The Dehiwala Zoo and Pinnawala run at a profit. Ridiyagama operates at a loss but the department breaks even. Our food costs have also reduced because we’ve started growing our own food on our own farms. This is a programme that was implemented by the former Director General during the pandemic.” 

Young Zoologists’ Association President Shoshitha Liyanage said a number of governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations (National Zoological Gardens Department, DWC, Forest Conservation Department, etc.) were involved in ex-situ conservation efforts in Sri Lanka, complemented by a host of regulations.

“Since the zoo is a place where animals that are currently facing the threat of extinction can be successfully bred, modern technology and knowledge available in other zoos in the world should also be made available to our zoos. In this way, ex-situ conservation carried out by the zoos can be made more efficient and successful,” said Liyanage. 

He added that although there were many conservation efforts around the country, it appeared that they were often subject to political interference. 

“For example, in the recent past there were some conflicts of opinion between DWC officers and politicians spread through social media. The main point of this is the repeated reflection that political interference directly and indirectly leads to environmental destruction. The recent deforestation in Wilpattu is a perfect example. 

“There are also some discussions about the environment being conducted without proper information such as the recent ones about sending toque macaques to China or constructing reservoirs in the Sinharaja Rainforest. This makes it clear that the environmental literacy of the majority of the country is very low. It seems that the lack of knowledge among people about the environment has become a significant problem for environmental conservation.”

Concerns about animal welfare 

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Rally for Animal Rights and Environment (RARE) Sri Lanka Founder Panchali Panapitiya said that although some claimed that zoos were involved in conservation efforts, this could not be seen happening effectively in Sri Lanka often.

“There are certain zoos that implement proper conservation programmes. For example, the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home provides a very natural environment for animals in order to conserve them. Caged-up places like the Dehiwala Zoo are not usual for conservation.” 

Therefore, she said that as animal rights activists, they were against all zoos. “We don’t think there is any relevance of zoos to this modern day and age. Tracking cameras placed in the wild allow anyone to see animals better that way, and these are commonly accessible through social media,” she said, emphasising that education about animals should be “real education”. 

“The way a lion or tiger behaves in captivity is totally different to how they behave in the wild. If you want to learn the correct thing, observe in the wild. Captivity makes animals behave differently as they are bored, angry, and depressed.” 

Thus, she said that the reality was that zoos were being used for entertainment purposes under the guise of education and conservation: “Then the ethical question of whether it’s correct for human beings to be entertained through animals arises. I don’t think we should use animals for entertainment by disrespecting their natural behaviour. We are teaching the wrong thing to children by giving entertainment through zoos.”

She went on to say that animal rights meant that an animal had the right to live freely in their own habitat. 

“The Dehiwala Zoo is too small and is overpopulated. Ridiyagama is better in terms of animal welfare. We recommend maintaining Ridiyagama as the main place and stopping breeding in Dehiwala in order to phase it out. 

“We can’t put all the animals in Ridiyagama because that would also become overpopulated, so we are saying to stop breeding and gradually phase it out. This also allows the staff at Dehiwala Zoo to be reassigned to Pinnawala and Ridiyagama,” said Panapitiya. 

She further said that the Government should introduce programmes where school children would get the opportunity to visit Yala, Wilpattu, and other national parks to observe animal behaviour: “Provide free entrance to national parks for children and cheaper safari options for locals, because not everyone can afford the safari.”

PHOTOS LALITH PERERA