Elephant Orphanage

Is an orphanage , nursing and captive breeding ground for wild Asian Elephants located 13 kilo meters northeast of Kegalle town. Pinnawala has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world, In 2011 there were 96 elephants including 43 males and 68 females from three generations living here. This was officially opened in 1975 on an area of 10 hectares was found to care and protect the many orphaned wild elephants found wandering in and around near the forests of Sri Lanka. At the time It was settled, the orphanage had five baby elephants which formed its nucleus. The addition of orphans continued until 1995.,when the Elephant Transit Home was created. Young elephants sometimes fall into pits and ravines in their quest of water during drought period. Other orphans have been displaced from their wild habitat by development projects or have been found abandoned before weaning, diseased or wounded. The elephants are fed in their stalls, and there is very little food they can gather from the premises and large quantities brought here in daily. Most of the elephants at Pinnawala are healthy and once attaining adulthood will be retained within the facility mostly they have become dependent on supplied food.