Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala

Pinnawella elephant orphanage is located in a village called pinnawella 13 k/m North West of kegalle town in sabaragamuwe province in sri lanka .pinnawela is notable for provide shelter and care for young Elephant that had been abandoned orphaned by their mothers found in and near the forest of sri lanka and young elephants sometimes fall into pits and ravines in their quest for water during drought period .the orphanage was first located at the wilpattu national park then shifted to the tourist complex at bentota and then to Dehiwela zoo from the zoo it was shifted to pinnawela it was Established in 1975 by sri lanka wild life Department in a acre coconut property near the mahaoya river in 1978 the orphanage was taken over by the national zoological gardens from the department of wild life and a captive breeding program was launched in 1982 since then over 20 elephant have been born as of 2012 there were 78 elephants living .

The first birth at pinnawela was in 1984 “sukumalee”a female was born to vijaya and Kumar who were aged 21 and 20 years, respectively at the time the males vijaya and neela and females kumara and anusha, mathlie and komali have since then parented several baby elephants more than twenty three elephants were born from 1984 to 1998 there were fourteen birth at pinnawela. Eight males and 6 females with one second generation birth in early 1998 since then till early 2012, 84 more were born at pinnawela

There are 48 mahouts (handlers) who take care of the elephants the female and young elephants in pinnawela range freely as a herd during the day in area of a few acres .they are herded about 5 km twice a day to drink in and be bathed in the river

At night the females are individually changed in stalls adult males are do some light work such as transporting feed the elephants are in there,their stalls .there is a very little foods they can gather from the premises of the orphanage expect some grass large quantities of jack fruit, coconut, sugar palm, tamarind and grass brought in daily from outside

The main attractions are the opportunity to observe the bathing from the broad river bank and bottled milk feeding for baby elephants.