Browsing by Author "Kothalawala, C."

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Elephant Taxidermy in Sri Lanka
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kothalawala, C.
From ancient times, elephants have engaged with our cultural and nature activities. Elephants are used to carry logs and to shift heavy materials. In ancient times, there was no machinery in Sri Lanka. People used elephants for their fun and day to day work. Elephants are used for precision in decades. There were elephant kraals during that time. Elephant Raja who carried the casket of the tooth relics in Kandy Perahera for several years. Taxidermy is the art of preparing, stuffing and mounting the skin of animals for displaying and study purposes. The actual skin is put in to a model of the dead elephant. It is a long process to do Taxidermy and make it as a real animal. Raja is now kept in Kandy Dalada Maligawa premises. Another Taxidermy work done was in 2011 where the Millangoda Raja is the longest tusker in South East Asia. It was kept in Kegalle. It belong to a private elephant park owner.
Elephant Taxidermy in Sri Lanka
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kothalawala, C.
Pack Animals for Transportation
(The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017, 2017) Kothalawala, C.
Pack Animals such as camels, goats, elephants, mules, donkeys, horses and yaks are used by humans to transport goods, humans, etc. All the weight bears on pack animals’ back. In ancient time, animals such as camels, goats, yaks, water buffaloes, elephants, mules, donkeys and horses were used for transportation. Most of the pack animals are ungulates. Elephants were used for carrying logs. Pack animals are filled with pack saddles. From the sixteenth century, pack animals have been used for carrying goods. The maximum load for animals is normally a ¼ of their body weight. The term ‘pack animals’ is traditionally used and is contrast to draft animals. Working animals pull loads such as pillows, carts or heavy logs. Rather than carrying cargo directly on its back, the pack saddle is designed to be secured on the back of horses, mule or other working animals. They can carry heavy loads such as luggage, firewood, small cannons or other weapons which are too heavy to be carried by humans. Pack saddles consist of wooden blocks, and breast collars which holds the saddle on the animals’ back. In Sri Lankan history, according to professor Paranavithana, there were horse trainers and elephant trainers. Elephants were captured from Sri Lankan jungles and horses were imported from India. Also, in the past, essential things like rice, coffee and fertilizers were transported using bullock carts. “Tawalama” is the famous load carrier in Sri Lanka. Elephant cart was used to transport good. Donkeys were also used for transporting goods.