About this experience
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage lies in the village of Pinnawala in the Kegalle District, roughly halfway between Colombo and Kandy. It occupies a 25-acre former coconut property beside the Maha Oya river.
The Sri Lanka Wildlife Department set up the orphanage here in 1975 to care for elephants left alone in the jungle, often after a mother was killed or a calf fell into a pit. The National Zoological Gardens took it over in 1978, and a captive breeding programme began in 1982. The first elephant born at Pinnawela arrived in 1984, and some of the herd now have a third generation born on site.
Most people come to watch the elephants. Twice a day the herd is taken down to the river to bathe, and this is the main sight. Calves under three years old are still bottle-fed by the mahouts and volunteers. Each animal gets around 76 kg of green matter a day, plus rice bran and maize.
This ticket is sold as a guided experience. An English-speaking local guide comes with your entry and tells you about the herd, the breeding work and how the orphanage began. With Lakpura, your entry is sorted in advance.
