Drunk and on an elephant - a new ban in Sri Lanka makes life more boring (6 photos)

In Sri Lanka, it is forbidden to ride an elephant under the influence of alcohol. And also child labor on elephants! The only surprising thing is that it is so late. They have been riding elephants here for centuries, you can't drive a car while drunk, but they only got around to elephants in the 21st century.





Meanwhile, there are about 7,500 wild and about 200 domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka. Capturing wild elephants is prohibited. And for killing an elephant, a person is sentenced to death!

But in reality, prosecutions for these crimes are rare. And in the country, it is fashionable to own elephants privately as a status symbol. So it happens that wild elephants are stolen for themselves. And who will count them?



Elephants very often participate in parades; in 2020, an elephant died of fatigue at a parade

In 2019, environmentalists in Sri Lanka recorded a “record number” of elephant deaths during the year — 85 percent of which were estimated to be caused by human activity.

Why was the drunk driving rule introduced only now

In fact, because of the popularity of tourism in Sri Lanka. The drunk drivers were not locals, but tourists who would get drunk and start riding elephants, and the elephants don't like it. And if the elephant is slow or doesn't listen, they can even hit it.





The elephant driver's stick is sharp at the end

And now new laws prohibit being in a state of alcohol or drug intoxication while riding these animals.

By the way, there is a small prejudice in Sri Lanka, that elephant drivers (not riders!) are supposed to be a little drunk, because it is easier to handle the capricious animal. Therefore, a little drunkenness of the drivers has never been condemned.



In Sri Lanka, a lot of elephants work seriously in logging

But a drunk driver is better at handling elephants because he is not embarrassed to use a whip and is not afraid to drive the elephant hard. Simply put, the feeling of fear is dulled, and it is not scary to beat the elephant.

Rules for riding an elephant

Finally, they strictly regulated how you can ride an elephant.

No more than four people can sit on an elephant, and it must have a soft saddle.



You can't ride like this without a saddle ANYMORE

Give the elephants a childhood

Finally, they banned the employment of elephants under two years old; they must spend their first years of life with their mothers.

Earlier, elephants were driven out to logging sites and for the entertainment of tourists; the sooner the better. Because it is easier to teach baby elephants to obey humans from childhood.

Every elephant must undergo a medical examination every six months.



A fairly young elephant is already in action and without tusks

In short, you are too late. If you dreamed of getting drunk and riding an elephant, there is nothing else for you to do in Sri Lanka!