Elephant Orphanage
5:14 PM
A quick trip to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka was a very interesting experience in getting up close and personal with elephants. This huge 25-acre (10 hectare) elephant sanctuary lies in a coconut plantation located halfway between Colombo and the hilly royal city of Kandy. The orphanage was initially designed to care and protect baby elephants found in the jungle who have lost their mothers.
Herd of Elephants at Pinnawala |
They started in 1975 with five baby elephants. The green elephant pasture grew to become an orphanage, captive breeding ground and nursery known to have the largest captive herd of Elephants in the world. The facility has become one of the popular tourist attractions in Sri Lanka and its income from tourism are used to care for the elephants.
Elephant Handler and Guide in Pinnawala |
Bottle Feeding |
At 10 AM and 2PM the elephants walk 400 meters to get to Maha Oya River for a bath |
The elephants roam around freely during the day and the event not to be missed during your visit is to witness the elephants' social activities as they bathe and play in the Maha Oya River.