Sri Lanka Attractions
Description
Venue: Elephant Orphanage When: Daily
The Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela in Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to get up close to a large herd of elephants.
The orphanage was set up in 1975 by the Department of Wildlife to look after young elephants who had been orphaned or abandoned and were in need of care and attention. Just five baby elephants where brought to Pinnawela with the hope of attracting visitors to fund the organisation and help it grow. And grow it has.
The five babies have multiplied into a healthy herd of around 40 elephants of various ages. Some were born at the orphanage, while others continue to be brought in when down on their luck. As the group has grown, every attempt has been made to allow the elephants to function as they would in the wild and develop their own herd structure. This is what makes Pinnawela so special for the visitor.
When you walk into the grounds you are greeted by the magical sight of elephants roaming free over grassland fringed with palm and coconut trees. It feels like a scene from Jurassic Park. The serene and gentle creatures are happy to be approached and you can actually walk among them without fear of getting squashed, their inquiring trunks reaching out to investigate you in reciprocal curiosity. Handlers are present, but they interfere very little and they seem to be on good terms with the animals, who are each known by name.
The orphanage is open all day but it is best to try and coincide your visit with the twice daily feeding and bathing. At 9.15am and 4.15pm, the baby elephants are taken into the stalls where they are tethered and then bottle fed with milk, providing endless photo opportunities. This might be a crowd pleaser but it's not the highlight; what really steals the show is the bathing.
Follow the herd out of the orphanage and down a 400-metre track to the river. Here the elephants are left to wallow and play in the shallow water that flows swiftly over smooth rocks. The younger ones play and hose themselves and each other while the older ones seem content to stand around and cool off quietly. The herd is allowed to stay at the river for about an hour, plenty of time for you to find a perch on the rocks or in one of the restaurants that overlooks the water.
Despite being protected, elephants in Sri Lanka are suffering due to the gradual destruction of their habitat. Elephant Corridors are being set up, criss-crossing the country to enable the herds to wander safely between the small areas of jungle that are left. Hungry elephants are a bit a of a nuisance and can be dangerous when forced to search for food in towns and villages. In these cases the intruders are often shot, sometimes leaving behind their young ones. In addition, fighting in the north of the country over the last 20 years has also claimed plenty of elephant casualties. One elephant at the orphanage only has three and a half legs after stepping on a mine.
No matter where you are staying in southern Sri Lanka, Pinnawala is easily accessible as a day trip. This is one experience that shouldn't be missed.
The Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawela in Sri Lanka is one of the best places in the world to get up close to a large herd of elephants.
The orphanage was set up in 1975 by the Department of Wildlife to look after young elephants who had been orphaned or abandoned and were in need of care and attention. Just five baby elephants where brought to Pinnawela with the hope of attracting visitors to fund the organisation and help it grow. And grow it has.
The five babies have multiplied into a healthy herd of around 40 elephants of various ages. Some were born at the orphanage, while others continue to be brought in when down on their luck. As the group has grown, every attempt has been made to allow the elephants to function as they would in the wild and develop their own herd structure. This is what makes Pinnawela so special for the visitor.
When you walk into the grounds you are greeted by the magical sight of elephants roaming free over grassland fringed with palm and coconut trees. It feels like a scene from Jurassic Park. The serene and gentle creatures are happy to be approached and you can actually walk among them without fear of getting squashed, their inquiring trunks reaching out to investigate you in reciprocal curiosity. Handlers are present, but they interfere very little and they seem to be on good terms with the animals, who are each known by name.
The orphanage is open all day but it is best to try and coincide your visit with the twice daily feeding and bathing. At 9.15am and 4.15pm, the baby elephants are taken into the stalls where they are tethered and then bottle fed with milk, providing endless photo opportunities. This might be a crowd pleaser but it's not the highlight; what really steals the show is the bathing.
Follow the herd out of the orphanage and down a 400-metre track to the river. Here the elephants are left to wallow and play in the shallow water that flows swiftly over smooth rocks. The younger ones play and hose themselves and each other while the older ones seem content to stand around and cool off quietly. The herd is allowed to stay at the river for about an hour, plenty of time for you to find a perch on the rocks or in one of the restaurants that overlooks the water.
Despite being protected, elephants in Sri Lanka are suffering due to the gradual destruction of their habitat. Elephant Corridors are being set up, criss-crossing the country to enable the herds to wander safely between the small areas of jungle that are left. Hungry elephants are a bit a of a nuisance and can be dangerous when forced to search for food in towns and villages. In these cases the intruders are often shot, sometimes leaving behind their young ones. In addition, fighting in the north of the country over the last 20 years has also claimed plenty of elephant casualties. One elephant at the orphanage only has three and a half legs after stepping on a mine.
No matter where you are staying in southern Sri Lanka, Pinnawala is easily accessible as a day trip. This is one experience that shouldn't be missed.
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Looking for things to do around Sri Lanka? Here are some of the events and attractions happening in the area.
| Sinhala & Tamil New Year Festival |
Apr 2009 (annual) Sri Lanka |
| Elephant Polo Tournament |
Feb 2009 (annual) Galle |
| National Day |
Feb 2009 (annual) Central Colombo |
| Navam Perahera (full moon Poya day in February) |
Feb 2009 (annual) Gangaramaya Temple |
| Duruthu Perahera (full moon Poya day in January) |
Jan 2009 (annual) Kelaniya Temple |
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