Thilo Hoffmann: Explorer, naturalist and wildlife love extraordinaire

by Douglas. B. Ranasinghe

(Excerpted from Hoffmann’s authorized biography)

EXCEPT FOR A VERY FEW POLITICIANS, administrators and individuals interested in nature and conservation, who saw the need to protect and conserve Sri Lanka’s environment for future generations and for the good of the country, the great majority of the people had a lethargic attitude and displayed a general lack of interest in the environment after we gained independence in 1948.

More than this attitude and ignorance, it appears that Sri Lanka’s unique and beautiful environment is being destroyed due to the selfishness of politicians, individuals, bureaucrats and businessmen, big and small. It would not be incorrect to say that foreigners see the beauty of our country more than most of us. This situation can be compared to a person walking in a Perahara being unable to view it, whereas an outsider watching it would get a fine view and overall impression of it.

Even today we can save our environment and the beauty of the country if we take quick and correct action and if the administrators, technocrats and politicians realize and understand these values. The editorial in the widely-read TIME magazine of 9.2.1998 has the following to say:

If any place on earth resembles Paradise, it would be Sri Lanka. Each plant and tree seems to flower, every white sand beach beckons irresistibly and the entire landscape radiates a shimmering tranquility.

We cannot speak about Sri Lanka’s unique environment without mentioning its forests, the cascading waterfalls in the hill country, the beautiful rivers running through rocky crags and green jungles or the hidden forest paths where elephants and other creatures roam. There are, also, the estuaries and mudflats where Whimbrel and Curlew utter their beautiful calls, the scenic upcountry and coastal regions, the breathtaking beauty of the coral fish swarming in the reefs, and the majestic ancient monuments.

In addition to earlier environmental problems like the large scale destruction of forests and encroachment on the land, the loss of stream reservations, illegal hunting, pollution of waterways and of the air, new dangers are developing. Some of these include the export of endemic plants and fauna (fish, snakes and butterflies), also the construction of hotels and activities in environmentally sensitive areas in the name of Eco-tourism.

Encouraging encroachment in protected areas mainly by some politicians for selfish reasons and the attitude of the administration which turns a blind eye to massive illegal activities, such as sand mining, coral mining, blast fishing with explosives, etc., and the ever-increasing and unchecked pollution of the air with toxic gases and particles are prime examples of official indifference to the country’s well-being. This negligent attitude has by now not only adversely affected the health of millions of people, but also destroyed much of the mountain forests above 5,000 ft. and damaged the environment in general.

As the leading NGO of our country, the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) spearheaded the movement for the conservation of our unique environment. Thilo W. Hoffmann’s effective work, first as the Secretary, and then the President of the Society for over three and a half decades is unparalleled and unprecedented in the history of nature conservation and has proved to be of great value to the country.

As the committee member of the WNPS for over three decades who was associated with him in some of his work, it was clear to me that Hoffmann has an exceptional store of knowledge and understanding about our country and its environmental problems as well as the methods we should adopt to overcome most of them. So whenever I met him after his retirement I tried to persuade him to write his memoirs. However his answer was that he had no time and that the magnitude and diversity of the subject overwhelmed him.

It was clear that valuable information and advice for both administrators and young environmentalists would be lost forever if such memories were not recorded for posterity. Hence I proposed to write Thilo’s authorized biography. This book is also meant to counteract the persistent insidious attempts to erase from memory the epic struggle of the 1970s for the conservation of Sinharaja and Thilo’s role in it.

Born in Switzerland in 1922, he came to Sri Lanka in 1946. He died aged 92 on May 12, 2014. Writing a personal note in 1999, he said: “During World War II, we were locked in our small country for years. I had a romantic yearning for the wide world, in particular the tropics. I had read exciting books about the lives of planters, the beauty of tropical lands, the lush vegetation and the fortunes that were waiting to be made. So I was looking for a job in a tropical country, which in 1946 brought me to Colombo in the island of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. I certainly did not make a fortune there, but led a life fulfilled”.

From Agriculture Advisor at A. Baur & Co. Ltd., he rose in the course of time to become its Managing Director and later Chairman: on retirement he was named Honorary Chairman. He lived in Sri Lanka for 60 years continuously except for a few spells in Switzerland during his wife’s illness. On several occasions it had been suggested that he apply for Sri Lankan citizenship. But, unknown even to two Presidents supportive of the idea, a rule forbids dual citizenship for non-Sri Lankans. He regretfully had to give up his attempts. The resident guest scheme which exempts members from income tax, and under which a famous author became a permanent resident, was not to his taste.

In the book titled A Baur & Co. Ltd.: 100 years in Sri Lanka published in 1997, it is mentioned that although Thilo Hoffmann had completed half a century with Baurs, he still had to apply each year for a “temporary residence visa” which is issued entirely at the discretion of the Controller of Immigration: in the meantime thousands of Sri Lankans have applied for and obtained Swiss citizenship whilst retaining their original Sri Lankan nationality.

Mr Hoffmann who is probably the most senior expatriate currently in Sri Lanka deserves to be an Honorary Citizen of this country for saving Sinharaja alone, not to mention other conservation work benefiting the country. He does not consider himself an outsider; whenever he refers to Sri Lanka he says “our country” as he loves Sri Lanka as his own.

His understanding of environmental issues and circumstances and his lasting work for nature conservation were furthered both at home and in the schools he attended up to university level. Thilo has a Masters Degree in Agricultural Sciences from the world renowned Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

I spent many days with him at Baurs to record his story and refer to the vast amount of articles, reports and memoranda he has written over the years in his endeavours to preserve Sri Lanka’s environmental treasures. In this authorized biography I had to limit my area of research and it is no exaggeration to say that it would take several volumes to make it quite complete.However, for a future researcher, investigator or student, most of his more important writings, documents, etc., are kept in the Hoffmann Archives in Baurs building, Chatham Street, Colombo Fort, which could be accessed with permission from the company.

The character and nature of Thilo W. Hoffmann are those of an explorer. That is why from his first day in the island to this date, more than 60 years later he has visited and explored every nook and corner of Sri Lanka, from the sea shore right up to the highest mountains, often under extreme conditions and with great exertion. Likewise, it was more important for him to get to know intimately every physical aspect and part of the National Parks and other conservation areas rather than to see exciting animals.

Being out in the wilds and in the most remote areas, living for the moment and from one day to the next, being one with nature, is for him the very essence of recreation and mental well-being.But he is not content with exploring, seeing and recording. If he sees or hears of a threat to any of the country’s natural and cultural treasures, he feels compelled to act.

This combination of explorer and activist, exemplified in his monograph on the Sinharaja forest is what made Thilo Hoffmann the most prominent and successful conservationist in Sri Lanka during the last century and to date. His work and life are characterized by a deep respect for all living creatures.

He has taken thousands of photographs in Sri Lanka, mainly of landscapes and of nature and traditional subjects, but when he goes abroad he typically leaves his photographic equipment behind.In this biography I have tried to give readers a glimpse of the enormous amount of work he has done for our country as a conservationist, voluntarily and in his own free time and with his own funds. I hope that our young conservationists will follow his footsteps in finding solutions to the challenging task of safeguarding Sri Lanka’s fabulous natural environment.

As a Sri Lankan at heart who was instrumental in saving Sinharaja and other areas from exploitation and who never spared himself in those endeavours, his work will be much appreciated and remembered by the grateful people of Sri Lanka.

(Note: Most of the information given in this book about facts and incidents has been provided by Thilo Hoffmann, who vouches for their correct and truthful rendering and stands by the opinions expressed.)

Thilo Hoffmann died on Monday, 12th May 2014, at the age of 92 years, while this book was in print.

(Next week – The Two Homelands)