by Himangi Jayasundere

Croatian animal protection organisations are asking to immediately halt the transportation of two Sri Lankan elephants to their country as the Croatian zoo where they are to be housed does not have facilities to take care of them.

All arrangements have been made to airlift the two baby elephants tomorrow but the Croatian animal protection groups, ZIVOT and LIFE are calling for a halt to the process which they claim is a "brutal violation" of the laws and conventions relating to animal transfers.

According to the letters from ZIVOT and LIFE, both of which are signed by ‘Davorko Feil, President’, the zoo in Osijek where the elephants are to be settled does not have facilities or funds to take care of the animals. The organisations also add that there is a high possibility the animals may be used for commercial purposes.

The elephants are a gift from the Sri Lankan government to the Croatian children on a request made by the Japanese government and the process is being carried through with the mediation of a Japanese NGO, the Croatian Suzie Foundation in Japan, a spokesman for the Japanese embassy said.

At a ceremony held at Temple Trees in April this year the domestic baby elephants from the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage were officially gifted by the Prime Minister.

Assistant Director General of the Dehiwala Zoo, Y. D. S. S. Malsinghe said that food lists and other necessary details were sent to Croatia and the Director of the relevant zoo wrote back saying that they could provide the necessary foliage required for elephant feed and the enclosure where the elephants were to live was large and equipped with heaters.

"They said they can look after them. We don’t like to give them the elephants if they have no funds or facilities. We love our animals," Mrs. Malsinghe said.

According to the Department of Wildlife the permit to export the elephants has been already issued. According to the permit the consignee is the director of Unikon Zoo Gardens in Osijek, Croatia and the permitee, the Director, National Zoological Gardens. The elephants have been cited as a ‘donation’ and the purpose of the specimens ‘to be exported and exhibited in the zoo.’

Additional Director Wildlife Department, H. M. D. C. Herat said that the transfer was permitted according to the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) and the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance.

The CITES permits have been issued from both the export and import parties as is required in such cases Mrs. Malsinghe said. She added that the Croatian permit authorities were responsible for ensuring that the Croatian zoo had the necessary facilities to house the endangered animals.

Meanwhile the Croatian Consulates office denied knowledge of any problems in accommodating the elephants in Croatia. "The Suzie Foundation is organising it and all expenses are borne by them," a spokesperson said. According to the official the transport and maintenance of the elephants will be borne by the Suzie Foundation. "We don’t know about the facilities of the Osijek zoo, the zoo in Sri Lanka is in contact with them, she said.

The Consulates office has not received communications from either, ZIVOT or LIFE, the official said, adding "If there was a problem we should have been informed. We have not been informed so far."

According to LIFE, one of the reasons for "numerous omissions and mistakes" in the elephant transfer is the lack of relevant laws in Croatia, where a war has delayed the implementation of new laws.

"In the Osijek Zoo even the minimal needed conditions for lodging and feeding the elephants do not exist, and especially all other aspects of needed care," LIFE said in a letter loosely translated into English. It added that "The last elephant who was in Osijek zoo was transported from Osijek to Hungary in the year 1991 and since that time do not exist the objects and personnel in the zoo for elephants’ care and ensuring minimal conditions for their surviving."