The
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is situated northwest of the town of Kegalle and 93.4 km
from the capital Colombo in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri
Lanka Wildlife Department. It has a 25
acre coconut property adjoining the Maha Oya River. The orphanage was
originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many orphaned
Elephants found in the jungles of Sri Lanka and in 1978 the orphanage was taken
over by the National Zoological Gardens from the Department of wildlife. In
1982, a captive breeding program was launched since that over 20 elephants has
been bred here. The ultimate aim of the orphanage is to simulate a natural
habitat to these elephants. The number of elephants living in Sri Lankan
wilderness exceeds 3000.
However, the
Pinnawala elephant Orphanage is opens to the public to see and enjoy the day
life style of elephants and to get love from the people. Elephants are taken to
the river twice a day for a bath, and all the babies less than three years of
age are still bottle fed by the mahouts and volunteers. You cannot visit
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in any time. There a time schedule for visiting,
feeding to elephants, river bathing, etc… Selected visitors have a chance
of bottle feeding milk to the baby elephants.
·
08.30
hours – Open to visitors
·
09.15
hours – Bottle Feeding
·
10.00
hours – Herd leaving to the river
·
12.00
hours – Return from the river
·
13.15
hours – Bottle Feeding
·
14.00
hours – Herd leaving to the river
·
16.00
hours – Return from the river
·
17.00
hours – Bottle Feeding
·
17.30
hours – Ticket counters close
·
18.00
hours – Close to public
.png){kind=logo}
