You may be used to paying tolls to scrupulous transport workers sitting in a locked hut on the side of the road, but in Sri Lanka things are a little different. Along the Buttala-Kataragama road, a majestic wild elephant, believed to be over 40 years old, performs the duties of a toll collector. Known to locals as Raja, meaning king, the elephant stands by the roadside, but quickly catches a vehicle coming from either direction and immediately asks for food. The jumbo must be served.
Raja is patient in his approach. He understands that getting angry will only drive people away. Therefore, after stopping the vehicles, Raja calmly uses his huge trunk to prod the drivers for food, who after some negotiating, though unsuccessful, offers him the food. It is an efficient company, of which only Raja seems to be the master.
What started as an innocent search for food by Raja has now grown into a full-fledged tradition. Many motorists buy fruits, including bananas, in advance from small stalls along the road from Lunugamvehera to Sella Kataragama, in anticipation of an encounter with the elephants, especially Raja.
In particular, the Buttala-Kataragama road is an important corridor connecting the west coast of Sri Lanka with the southeast coast. With wild, untamed jungle on either side, the road is popular among both locals and foreigners seeking the thrill of interacting with nature in its visceral glory.
Despite causing a lot of hassle along the way by blocking the vehicles, the locals treat Raja with respect and give in to his authoritarian 'tax collection' policies.
Also read | Elephants – the engineers of ecosystems
Social media responds
Social media users have given their approval to Raja to continue his bureaucratic duties and munch on bananas and other fruits.
“This is where and how I want my taxes to be done,” said one user, while another added: For people who say it's dangerous, who's going to stop him? That's called busy!”
A third added: “These elephants are real businessmen. Look how patiently he treats the drivers.”
Elephants are revered in Sri Lanka. 70 percent of the population is Buddhist and before Buddha was born, his mother dreamed of a big white elephant. It is believed that Buddha himself could have taken the form of an elephant in previous lives. Similarly, those belonging to the Hindu faith in the island nation worship Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god who is the son of Lord Mahadev and Goddess Parvati.
