The first of its kind, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was constructed to provide a safe haven to orphaned elephants during the long civil war in the country.
History
Established in 1975, the orphanage was designed to provide care and feed abandoned baby elephants that were found in the wild. Since opening its doors to tourism, the funds from which are taken to maintain the orphanage and care for the elephant herd, the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a popular tourist attraction.
The park
The park is open for visitors from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Visitors are advised not to feed or approach any of the elephants without the presence of a mahout. In Sri Lanka, tours to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage are easily arranged by agencies such as Connaissance de Ceylan.
The Elephants
Pinnawala is known to have the largest number of captive elephants in the whole world! 3 years ago, the number was 88. The oldest elephant named Kumari was one of the 5 founder elephants.
The River
One of the most fascinating experiences is watching the herd of elephants making their way to the river for a bath. This happens from 10 am to noon and against from 2 pm to 4 pm every day.
Intrigued by history, art and food, Lavinia Woolf is a writer who is passionate about the extraordinary and writes of the exhilarating and enchanting.
