Every day almost 100 orphan elephants of all ages march down a narrow village street that is flanked on both sides with tiny shops, for a bath in the nearby river. With their mahout in the lead, one can hear the rumbling of footsteps long before the elephants come in sight; shoving and pushing each other a bit eager to reach the water.
Pinnawela Orphanage feed, nurse and house young elephants found abandoned from their herds. Loved and pampered by the caretakers, these mischievous & boisterous young jumbos love the attention and the patting and cooing of the tourists. Half a day in the presence of hundreds of these massive creatures reminds one a scene from Jurassic Park and an experience never to forget!
The Open Air Zoo is just across the road from the Orphanage and home to a collection of Sri Lanka’s rich diversity of animals living in their natural habitats.