Elephant kraaling, which was an indigenous skill, was a royal sport, which deserved to be watched by the governor or a visiting monarch as a manifestation of their authority and command over the largest of living creatures, and therefore by implication over humans. The organization of a kraal was a major task. Sri Lanka having being a land of rich elephant herds, kraaling was not a nature threatening event in late 19 th century and the early 20 th . Now it has come to an event of past time, with only the memories of it. Today the elephant is a nationally protected animal resource.

Anyway the battle in such kraals reminds us mammoth battles between the man and the elephant. It was an activity in which the human life is put to a great risk.

How is the kraal was built; what was the size of it; How many skilled persons were required; are no wonder the questions which evoke the mammoth interest of you, the reader.

The kraal was constructed of heavy posts and beams lashed together with jungle-creepers. A side with wiry fences was kept purposely for the welcome. The kraal-area was, averagely, 8 to 10 acres in extent. A pool of water within it is a necessary bait. It was not clear how many humans were needed for the activity, according to the sources, but half a dozen of tamed elephants were needed for an averagely healthy heard.

The mahouts and tamed elephants chaise the herd up and down till a single is detached from the rest. Engulfed by the tamed brothers, wild ones were smartly noosed by the mahouts. If the smartness shacked it might mean endangered lives of few mahouts putting them to end or serious injuries.

After tying the captured wild to the stout trees, with fore-legs completely free, it was left to settle down. His effort to get free was quite an agony to witness.

After repeated chasings, time-to-time quite a few elephants were captured.

For the capture some exceptions were obeyed. Mother and newborn-sets were set free, without harm. The reason is said to be the difficulty of rearing a mammoth child in human captivity.

With all this battles happening, there were lot of huts were set up for the spectators, at a safe area. For the kraals in 'kraal town' (Panamure), there came quite a number of Colombo-people.