The lion is the undisputed king of all beasts. Its roar is a proclamation of its authority. The Sinha Regiment of the Sri Lanka army is one of the oldest regiments with a magnificent history. Their mascot is a real lion named Cougar. In order to understand the amazing bond this animal has with its mother regiment I took the long drive to Ambepussa, accompanied by Captain Suraweera.
As we reach the outer perimeter of this massive camp, we can see the bust of a golden lion positioned on the topmost bastion of the main gate - this is the home of fearless combat soldiers. It is the regiment of ultimate bravery and altruism. After exchanging greetings with Centre Commandant Brigadier Ajith Pallewela, we proceed to the lion’s den along with Major. Sujith Marasinghe.
The lion’s den takes centre stage at this regimental compound. We soon encounter the 2 faithful lion keepers - Corporal Rathnathage and Lance Corporal Kumaratunga. They invite us to enter the domain of the junior lion, Cougar. My mind immediately raced back to the Bible story of Daniel being taken to the lion’s den, and a sense of mild fear entered. Then I recollected the words of my old native Indian Cherokee chief who once told me in America ‘Fear stems from our false expectation of reality’.
After inhaling a gulp of fresh air I ventured in to see our friend Cougar. He senses the presence of two strangers. His eyes give us a penetrating stare. Within seconds he stands up and the keepers decide to take him outside. As a dog wears a collar and leash, this lion too is used to a collar. As soon as he is outside the cage he displays his friendly and mischievous personality.
Young Cougar comes directly to me and sits at my feet. Corporal Kumaratunga asks me to rub his head. Wow! this would be a memorable moment for me. Soon I am very close to Cougar, stroking his head. How we misunderstand and judge animals. This young male lion is full of energy and decides to climb onto a rock and take a peek at his senior - Nero the magnificent male lion in the larger compound. Nero is apparently not in the mood for fun and gives us a warning roar! Cougar descends from the rock and comes back to be petted.
Both Kumaratunga and Rathnathage have dedicated much of their service life to the care of the army lions. Rathnathage is an army boxer, and Kumaratunga is an animal lover who even knows to control elephants. They tell us “Cougar is very attached to us, as he does not have another lion his age. He is an intelligent animal”. The cub came to Ambepussa in 2017 aged 4 months and is now 11 months. He beings his day at 6 am and is taken out for a long walk. The officers and soldiers are accustomed to encountering the lion and Cougar even visits the Commandants office once in awhile! By 5.30 pm he is fed his army ration of 4 kilograms of beef along with vitamins. But it is not always playtime for our young friend as he is now being taught to go on parade. The regiment hopes to display their mascot at a future Independence Day parade.
The history of the army lions dates back to 1978. Before this the regiment’s first mascot was a large white ram (goat) named Tojo. Then in 1978 the first male lion named Moran, came to Ambepussa. His presence was a great moral boost. This lion left the service. In 1988 another lion named Cougar 1 took his place. This magnificent beast moved out in 1996 and paved way for Cougar 2 to take his place.
On my previous visit to Ambepussa I was able to see this animal. He was able to recognize the Commandant’s car and stood up in his cage, perhaps his way of respecting rank. Every evening when the bugle call was played the majestic lion let out a series of roars. As age took its natural toll Cougar 2 died in February 2015, much to the dismay of the entire regiment. The lion’s death was mourned. It was in this period that the senior lion Nero came into active service. Nero has not been hand raised and therefore is not docile. Meanwhile plans were made to locate another young lion and that’s when our friend Cougar3 entered the regiment to sustain this rich tradition. He was welcomed into the camp with much pomp and decorum. Corporals Rathnathage and Kumaratunga sleep in a room directly besides the lion’s den, and Cougar sleeps looking at his masters through an iron grill.
The bond between man and animal is outstanding, and shows that even a lion is capable of love. Cougar will dazzle and wield his influence on the Sinha Regiment for decades to come.
