COLOMBO, 19 January 2005 — The animals which deserted the Yala National Park in eastern Sri Lanka before the tsunami are now returning. Yala, a popular tourist attraction, is home to a wide variety of animals, including deer, elephants, leopards, various reptiles and birds.
The park has some 200,000 visitors every year with a quarter of that number foreigners. After the tsunami, 48 bodies were found in the park but not a single dead animal.
Scientists say that animals are more sensitive to sound and changes in air pressure than humans and when they became aware of recent changes, they fled inland to higher ground out of the park and away from the sea. Now that the danger is over, they are returning.
A non-governmental organization which is providing relief to animals after the tsunami says that there is now a danger of rabies among pets.
“The majority of pets that were displaced by the disaster are now returning to their homes, many of which were destroyed,” said the director of the organization at a press conference in Colombo on Monday.
Homeless animals such as dogs and cats and those which have been abandoned run the risk of becoming infected with rabies and then spreading the disease. Already some 4,000 dogs have been given anti-rabies injections. Dr. Asoka Dangolla of the Peradeniya University Veterinary Faculty said four centers had been established in order to treat animals. Four veterinary surgeons and a group of veterinary students are working in the centers.
There have not yet been confirmed reports of rabies but the danger cannot be ruled out, according to Dr. Dangolla who added that the animals required certain medications and foods in order to maintain their health.
Leading Sri Lankan banks have established websites in order to facilitate online contributions to the President’s Fund for Disaster Relief. The website addresses are:
Bank of Ceylon — www.bankofceylong.net
People’s Bank — www.peoplesbank.lk
Central Bank — www.centralbanklanka.org
