A famous sanctuary for orphaned and injured elephants, home to the world's largest captive herd, best seen at its twice-daily river bathing.

Overview

The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage cares for orphaned, injured and displaced wild elephants on a coconut estate beside the Maha Oya. It is renowned for its large herd, which is walked down to the river twice a day to bathe, splash and socialise in the shallows while visitors watch from the banks. Feeding sessions, including the bottle-feeding of calves, are another highlight. It is one of the most popular wildlife attractions on the island and a favourite family stop between Colombo and Kandy.

History

The orphanage was established in 1975 by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, initially at Wilpattu, to provide sanctuary for orphaned and injured wild elephants. In 1978 it moved to its present 25-acre coconut plantation beside the Maha Oya at Pinnawala, where it began a captive-breeding programme and grew into the largest herd of captive elephants in the world.