In 1967 Melvyn was part of the Smithsonian Institution’s research team in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) studying the ecology of the Asiatic elephant. In that year Dr. C. W. Gray conducted a series of experiments testing the tranquiliser Etorphine (M99) on Elephants in the Galoya region.
Six attempts were made to immobilise lone male elephants in the jungles surrounding the huge dam named The Senanayake Samudra. At the time, this was the newest National Park in Ceylon. Melvyn was instructed in the use of a dart gun and fired it in all 6 experiments of which the last two were successful. He was supported by Wildlife Department Game Ranger, Bevis Ekanayake who was armed with a high powered rifle in case of an attack from a targeted animal.
The first four darted animals were not fully tranquilised and follow-up observation of the animals had to be abandoned as it was either too dangerous or the prevailing conditions made it impossible to do so. The dose of the tranquiliser was gradually increased at each experiment until the fifth and sixth animals to be darted were shot with doses of between 7 and 8 mgs of M99.
These experiments were the first to be undertaken on the Asiatic elephant and it was found that to immobilise an adult bull took around twice the dosage of M99 required to down an African animal based on comparative body weight!
Had he not been called Home six years ago, Mel would be celebrating his 70th birthday today! May God rest his soul…
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