Pinnawala – The Elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka

It is believed that Sri Lanka has the highest density of elephants in Asia…

A visit to Pinnawala – Elephant orphanage is an unforgettable experience for anybody.

Originally the orphanage was founded to protect many of the wild elephants found in the forests of Sri Lanka and is a captive breeding ground. Many Elephants were injured or orphaned due to deforestation or during the past conflict in the county.

The orphanage did attract local and foreign visitors and the income was intended to use to maintain the orphanage.

It would take about one & half hours from Colombo to reach ‘Pinnawala’. It is advisable to start the day early as it would give you plenty of time.

As soon as you enter, in the close vicinity you would see a group of 50-60 elephants of different sizes and shapes. You may find some of the large Male elephants are chained. This may be sometimes necessary to tame them & don’t forget these are large wild animals and therefore, only specially trained ‘mahouts’ are capable of controlling them.

Tourists get the opportunity to bottle feed the baby elephants and can also observe the bathing elephants from the broad ‘Ma Oya’ river bank. This would be very interesting sight as these herds of elephants interact socially, bathing and playing.

Most of the elephants at Pinnawala are healthy and once attaining adulthood they were released to temples or private owners whilst the injured ones remained.

Unfortunately, the elephant population in Sri Lanka has declined drastically by at least 50% over the last three generations. This could be due to poaching, illegal trading etc.

Today, the elephant population is largely restricted to the dry zone in the north, east and southeast of Sri Lanka. Elephants are present in the Sri Lankan National parks of Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, Lunugamvehera National Park, Wilpattu National Park and Minneriya National Park but also live outside protected areas.

Elephant is an endangered species and need to be protected for the sustainability of the natural balance for generations to come.

Visit the orphanage is an amazing experience, and a must-see for anyone. Whether you are interested in wildlife or not, watching the elephants will captivate you into another world.

Are you planning to visit the orphanage? need tips or ideas? let us know here…