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elephant orphanage in sri lanka
images:Irene Chan
The Pinnawela elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka is about 90 km from the capital Colombo, on the way to the ancient city of Kandy. Irene Chan paid the elephants a visit to see how well the orphanage simulates the natural elephant world.
Established by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department, the 24-acre orphanage provides care and protection to rescued baby elephants whose mothers died or had been killed. The orphanage started in 1972 initially at the Wilpattu National Park, it moved to the tourist complex at Bentota, then it shifted to the Dehiwala Zoo, and finally relocated to its present site in 1975. The National Zoological Gardens took over in 1982 and a breeding-in-captivity programme was launched to address the dwindling elephant population. Injured elephants from the wild were added and to date, there are about 100 elephants looked after by elephant-keepers called mahout.
One particular baby elephant that stands out from the herd is Sama. Her right front leg was blown up when she stepped on a land mine but that has not prevented her from coming forward from behind the bigger members of the herd to greet visitors, who can easily single her out due to the stump on her right foot. It is no surprise then that she is the most sought-after elephant for photo-taking, and although she happily obliges by posing steadily with the visitors, the mahout around her would keep a watchful eye for the safety of the visitors.
Babies are fed milk while older ones eat mainly the leaves of coconut and palm, grass and also fruits like jackfruit.
The Pinnawela elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka is about 90 km from the capital Colombo, on the way to the ancient city of Kandy. Irene Chan paid the elephants a visit to see how well the orphanage simulates the natural elephant world.
Established by the Sri Lanka Wildlife department, the 24-acre orphanage provides care and protection to rescued baby elephants whose mothers died or had been killed. The orphanage started in 1972 initially at the Wilpattu National Park, it moved to the tourist complex at Bentota, then it shifted to the Dehiwala Zoo, and finally relocated to its present site in 1975. The National Zoological Gardens took over in 1982 and a breeding-in-captivity programme was launched to address the dwindling elephant population. Injured elephants from the wild were added and to date, there are about 100 elephants looked after by elephant-keepers called mahout.
One particular baby elephant that stands out from the herd is Sama. Her right front leg was blown up when she stepped on a land mine but that has not prevented her from coming forward from behind the bigger members of the herd to greet visitors, who can easily single her out due to the stump on her right foot. It is no surprise then that she is the most sought-after elephant for photo-taking, and although she happily obliges by posing steadily with the visitors, the mahout around her would keep a watchful eye for the safety of the visitors.
Babies are fed milk while older ones eat mainly the leaves of coconut and palm, grass and also fruits like jackfruit.
The main attraction is the elephants’ bathing time. Everyday at 10 a.m and 2 p.m, the elephants cross the road and walk about 400 metres down a road, lined on both sides with shops, restaurants and hotels, to their bath in the Maha Oya river. This is a magnificent sight to behold, especially for those who have never seen an elephant before.
Visitors line the street with their cameras ready - some are seated at cafes by the river while some sit on rocks by the banks - to watch the elephants head down the road and into the river to bathe. The humans watch in awe at close range at the enormous mammals as they dip their bodies into the river and playfully splash water with their trunks.
Elephant lovers may take part in a volunteer programme to work with the elephants at Pinnawela. Their duties will include non-specialised work such as cleaning the elephant enclosures, bathing the smaller elephants, feeding and learning about the animals.
The centre is open from 8.30 a.m to 6 p.m daily.
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