Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage
Also written Pinnawala, Sri Lanka
Pinnawela Elephant Orphange is located about 80 km from Colombo, just northwest of the town of Kegalle. Pinnawela is a tourist attraction, for it is home to the largest herd of elephants in captivity. I visited it with a group of AsiaExplorers members on our way to the arid ancient city of Anuradhapura.
The place was already crowded with visitors when we arrived. We were lucky in that we got there just in time for the elephant feeding time. After that, we were taken to the river where we get to watch the elephants being bathed.
Orphanged elephants taken for their daily bath at the Maha Oya river at Pinnawela.
Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was set up in 1974 by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Department to take in baby elephants who were abandoned or injured. Within this 24-acre facility is also a breeding centre for the elephants, managed by the National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka. Since 1984, 20 elephants have been born here.
The Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage was initially located at the Wilpattu National Park. It has shifted a few times, first to the tourist complex at Bentota and then to the Dehiwala Zoo, before moving to Pinnawela in 1975. Today Pinnawela is one of the bigger elephant orphanges and has become a tourist attraction.
Mahout taking his charge to the Maha Oya river for a bath.
The Maha Oya river was thick with elephants.
Elephant dung can even be made into paper.
Local tourists throng Pinnawela to watch the elephant bath.
Tim and an AsiaExplorers member CK at Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.
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