Elephant Orphanage at Pinnawala is one of the most exciting and heart-touching places that you do have not to miss during your holiday in Sri Lanka. The orphanage covering twenty-five acres of land bordering the Maha Oya river is located in a small Pinnawala village just 4 km north of Rambukkana Railway station.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage first orphanage for elephants in the world has been established by the Department of Wildlife in 1975. The primary purpose of the orphanage was to provide a suitable environment and care for the many baby elephants found in the wild who had lost their mothers due to conflict with villagers or as a result of poaching.

Baby Elephants

When Pinnawala started out it had 5 baby elephants and it was hoped that the project could be a tourist attraction as the aim of the project was to replicate as much as possible the natural habitat of the elephant. Pinnawala is currently among the largest elephant orphanages in the world and hosts 93 elephants. They are allowed to roam freely and a heard structure has developed, though some controls have also been introduced so that visitors to the site can be a part of the herd’s daily activities.

The elephants in the Pinnawala orphanage have a daily schedule for their activities. The time table as follows:

• 09.00 - 09.45                Fruit feeding
• 09.15 - 09.45                Milk feeding for baby elephants
• 10.00 - 12.00                Bathing at Maha Oya river
• 12.00 - 13.45                Fruit feeding
• 13.15 - 13.45                Milk feeding for baby elephants
• 14.00 - 16.00                Bathing at Maha Oya river
• 17.00                            Milk feeding for baby elephants              

Milk Feeding

At 10.00 and 14.00 hours’ elephants are walked 400 m from the orphanage to the Maha Oya river for a bath. Baby elephants are fed with milk and older ones are fed with leaves. The leaves are mainly coconut, jackfruit, and logs of Kitul palm tree. Each animal gets approximately 75kg of green food each day and in addition, each gets 2kg of a food mixture containing maize, rice bran, powdered gingerly seed, and minerals.

Elephant captive Breeding 

The Pinnawala orphanage has been conducted a captive breeding program since 1984. Since then more than a hundred baby elephants were bone in the orphanage. Pinnawala orphanage has managed to provide a conducive environment that there have been male elephants conceived and born in captivity which is extremely rare. There have also been quite a few second-generation babies which is a testament to the success of the project.

The Pinnawala orphanage is a huge tourist attraction as it is on the itinerary of almost every round trip group that visits Sri Lanka. The proceeds from the entrance tickets are used to fund some of the expenses of the orphanage. There are also students and elephant enthusiasts who volunteer and practice their internship through Pinnawala and most find it a gratifying experience, especially the work with the smaller baby animals.

The animals at Pinnawala are given adequate food, supplements water, and exercise. For all these activities and the maintain the orphanage huge amount of money has required. There is an entrance fee charged for every visitor. The fund collected from tickets were used for enriching the lifestyle of the elephants and maintain the orphanage.

Pinnawala Ticket Price

Overseas visitors except for SARRC countries

            Adults     –    LKR 2500.00

            Children –    LKR 1250.00

Visitors from SARRC countries

            Adults     –    LKR 700.00

            Children –     LKR 350.00

Read more on Pinnawala:

https://www.fantasiatours.com/locations/view-individual/61

https://www.fantasiatours.com/activities/view-detailed-activity/212

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