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Birth and Death Anniversaries of Lyn De Alwis (27.10.1930 – 22.11.2006), Chairman Asian Elephant Specialist Group 1985 – 1997

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Birth and Death Anniversaries of Lyn De Alwis (27.10.1930 – 22.11.2006), Chairman Asian Elephant Specialist Group 1985 – 1997 News and Briefs Gajah 53 (2021) 56-59 Birth and Death Anniversaries of Lyn de Alwis (27.10.1930 – 22.11.2006), Chairman Asian Elephant Specialist Group 1985 – 1997 Ravi Corea Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society Author’s e-mail: [email protected] This past 27th October and 22nd November 2020 Following up on it several additional studies were marked respectively the 90th birth and 14th death carried out by graduate students at the University anniversary of the eminent and world-renowned of Peradeniya until the 1980s. The Ceylon Project, Sri Lankan wildlife and zoo expert, Lyn de Alwis. as it was known by the Smithsonian Institution, included research on elephants (1967–1978) and How do you pay homage to an individual of primates (1968–1982). the calibre of Lyn? Just narrating his accom- plishments alone would not be a fitting eulogy How much the Department of Wildlife, its for a person who was much more than the sum personnel and especially Lyn was valued for of his achievements. To portrait Lyn not only as their cooperation can be assessed when reading an internationally acclaimed wildlife and zoo the acknowledgements of the publications that expert but also to highlight the man behind his were published as a result of the project. In An true persona – the man who drew the respect, Ecological Reconnaissance of the Wilpattu love and loyalty of a vast number of people National Park, Ceylon (1972), John Eisenberg ranging from scientists to wildlife trackers and and Melvyn Lockhart mention how “in 1966, the general public. The Wild Life Protection Society of Ceylon and the Ceylon Department of Wildlife sent a request Delving into publications, tracing old interviews, to the Smithsonian Institution for advice and/ contacting former colleagues and getting firsthand or help in the organization of an elephant study accounts and by reading through reminiscences program.” They also mention the support they of friends, contemporaries and adherents, I received from Lyn: “Mr. Lyn de Alwis, Director have strived to provide a succinct profile of of the Zoological Gardens at Dehiwala and probably Sri Lanka’s greatest wildlife expert and Warden of the Wild Life Department of Ceylon – conservationist. With the passing away of Lyn de without the aid, assistance, and encouragement of Alwis one of the most glorious eras of wildlife Mr. de Alwis, the project could not have achieved conservation in Sri Lanka came to an end. success.” George McKay makes a similar state- ment in his article on the Behavior and Ecology During Lyn’s tenure as the Director of the of the Asiatic Elephant in Southeastern Ceylon Department of Wildlife, the first intensive (1973): “My thanks to the entire staff of the behavioural and ecological studies of the Asian Department of Wild Life, under the direction elephant (Elephas maximus) were conducted in of Mr. W. [Lyn] E. de Alwis, who provided the Sri Lanka. In 1966, the Department of Wildlife cheerful cooperation without which none of this and the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society work would have been possible.” made a request to the Smithsonian Institution in the USA to initiate a detailed study of the Sri Another major achievement of Lyn was de- Lankan elephant. The Smithsonian put together signing the award-winning Singapore Zoo and a team that included Drs. Fred Kurt, Melvyn C. Night Safari. It was what Lyn had achieved at Lockhart, George M. McKay, and Robert Olivier the Dehiwala Zoo that attracted the Singapore with Dr. John F. Eisenberg as the team leader. authorities to invite Lyn to set up their new zoo in They conducted their studies from 1967–1978. 1970 in a 225-acre land. In a July 1996 interview © 2021 The Author - Open Access 56 Lyn stated: “They [Singapore authorities] knew what they wanted, having toured many zoos, particularly in the US and Europe. They saw what we had at Dehiwela and decided to give us the job.” As the 2nd Chairman (1985–1997) of the IUCN/ SSC Asian Elephant Specialists Group (AsESG), Lyn reached out to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma at the time) and China, which were all countries that were closed to foreigners. As Lyn observed at the time: “We must look at the whole of Asia and not just a few countries… where the Asian elephant survives…” And apparently Lyn got results: “Burma´s Minister of Forestry has been most enthusiastic and he personally invited us to his country. He sent us under escort to elephant country in difficult areas and himself organized a workshop. We made a similar approach to Cambodia and they were very open and very keen. We have also sent a group to Vietnam and right now we are getting into Laos… all three countries are keen on protecting this heritage…, AsESG is also involved with elephant conservation in Szechuan Wasgomuwa-Maduru Oya-Gal Oya Complex of in southern China, where there is likely to be an Reserves. The project was a joint effort between estimated population of 300 elephants.” the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) and the Zoology Department of the University of Another exemplary quality of Lyn’s was to Peradeniya and Lyn was Sri Lanka’s head of the give the people who worked for him the due project. Between September 1980 and July 1982, recognition for their work. At the 2nd Meeting I spent about 20–22 days/month in the field but of the AsESG held at the Sri Lanka Foundation came back to Colombo to meet Lyn. He always Institute in August 1980, in the meeting minutes had time to talk to me and was open to discussing it’s recorded Lyn stating: “He believed in ideas very freely. Once he came to the field when the exchange of views not only of top-level I was in a little “Gam Udawa” house with others administrators, but also those of field officers who of the DWC staff who were responsible for the actually carry out the practical tasks involved new Maduru Oya National Park. What was nice in effective conservation. That was why he had about Lyn was his calm confidence; he trusted his decided to let the meeting hear at first hand from staff and was sure about the fact that his orders those officers, rather than [Lyn] read a long would be executed to the best of his personnel’s and boring paper. Mr. de Alwis then introduced abilities. In my view the DWC had the best Messrs. C.V. Jayawardena, A.B. Fernando, times when he was the Director. The same goes M.M.D. Perera, and N. Ishwaran.” for the Dehiwela Zoo; it was best run when Lyn was heading it. I did some captive elephant Dr. Natarajan Ishwaran (2020) reminiscing about feeding observations in the zoo to complement the time he worked on his elephant research my fieldwork with the Smithsonian Elephant work stated: “My best moments with Lyn were Ecology Project in Gal Oya during 1975–1977. when I started on the WWF/IUCN Project He would come strolling around and talk to us 1783: Conservation and Management of the and see if everything was going well. Sri Lankan 57 wildlife conservation owes a lot to Lyn whose All of the senior vice presidents, including Dr. leadership of the DWC could be linked to some John Robinson who headed the international of its best moments.” wildlife conservation division of the WCS, were there to meet Lyn. Bill himself personally took Many knew Lyn as either the Director of Wildlife us around the zoo in a golf-car and made sure and/or the Dehiwala Zoo, since he was the only the chief curator, Jim Doherty and all the animal person in Sri Lanka who held both positions keeping staff were there to provide Lyn with any simultaneously. But for those who knew him information he needed. Prior to hosting us for personally, Lyn leaves behind a yearning nostalgia lunch at the VIP lounge in the Zoo Restaurant, for an era that will never come back. For me it when we were in Bill’s office, I saw with what was an honour and privilege to have known one deference Bill and the other vice presidents of Sri Lanka’s eminent wildlife personalities. spoke to Lyn and the high regard they had for what Lyn had accomplished such as designing the I first learned of Lyn from a book he had published Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, as the Director in 1969 titled National Parks of Ceylon, A Guide, of the Department of Wildlife Conservation and which 25 years later Lyn autographed when he the Dehiwala Zoo, and as the Chairman of the visited my home in the US in August 1996. I IUCN/SSC AsESG. Personally, I felt fortunate to came to know Lyn when I joined the Young be there that day and be able to bask a tiny bit on Zoologist Association in 1974 and was later the esteem Lyn was getting. selected to be a Student Guide Lecturer in the Education Department of the Dehiwala Zoo in Lyn’s dedication, perseverance, fortitude, vision 1978. By then Lyn was renowned nationally and and leadership—is opulently encapsulated in this internationally for his work and achievements. statement he made in a 1996 interview: “…we all When I became the General Secretary of the talk glibly about the need for political will. But Ruk Rakaganno (Tree Society of Sri Lanka) in it is we who must be the instrument of securing 1982, Lyn was one of the Executive Committee that will.” members, which was an incredible opportunity to talk, to listen and learn from Lyn’s knowledge And there is no better way to end this eulogy and experiences.
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