Elephant Taxidermy in Sri Lanka

Abstract

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.