'Tax Collector' Elephant Goes Viral For Stopping Vehicles, Seeking Food

You might be used to paying the road toll to scrupulous transport employees sitting in a cooped-up cabin roadside but things are a little different in Sri Lanka. 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 roadside but quickly seizes upon a vehicle coming from either direction and immediately requests food. The jumbo needs to be served.

Raja is patient in his approach. He understands that getting angry will only drive the people away. Hence, after stopping the vehicles, Raja calmly uses his massive trunk to poke the drivers for food, who after some negotiation, albeit failed, offer the food items to him. It is an efficient business -- one that only Raja appears to be the master of.

What started as an innocuous food search by Raja has now turned into a full-fledged tradition. Many motorists buy fruits including bananas in advance at wayside little stalls that dot the road from Lunugamvehera to Sella Kataragama, anticipating an encounter with the elephants, particularly Raja.

Notably, the Buttala-Kataragama road is a major linkway that connects Sri Lanka's west coast with the southeast coast. With wild untamed jungle on either side, the road is popular among the locals as well as foreigners who seek the thrill of engaging with nature in its visceral glory.

Despite causing significant hassle on the road by blocking the vehicles, the locals treat Raja with respect and give in to his authoritarian 'tax-collection' policy.

Also read | Elephants - The Engineers Of Ecosystems

Social media reacts

Social media users have given their seal of approval to Raja to continue his bureaucratic duties and chomp on bananas and other fruits.

"This is where and how l want my tax to be paid," said one user, while another added: For people saying it's dangerous, I mean who's gonna stop him? It's called hustle!"

A third added: "These elephants are true businessmen. Look how patiently he's dealing with the drivers."

Elephants are revered in Sri Lanka. 70 per cent of the population is Buddhist and before Buddha was born, his mother dreamt of a great white elephant. It is believed that Buddha himself could have been in 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.