Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Kandy Overview

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was launched to provide shelter and nourishment to abandoned, injured and maimed elephants. The ideology behind this project revolves around the care of abandoned baby elephants, who cannot survive without their mothers.

The local park allows tourists to ride on, pet and play with elephants. The animals are really friendly and if tourists jump into the water with them they spray them with water from the trunk. This also recycle elephant excreta to make paper and happens to be the only factory in the world that does this.

Detailed Timings for Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Feeding Timing:
The feeding time for the elephants is 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM, 1:15 PM to 2:00 PM, 5 PM to 5:45 PM.
The elephants have around 76 kg of green matter and about 2 kg from a food bag containing rice bran and maize everyday.

Bathing Timing:
The bathing time for the elephants is from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
The sight of the elephants taking a dip in the river is a spectacular one. They are cheerful, happy and very playful at this time.

Fruit Feeding Timing:
The elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage also eat fruits from 9:00 AM to 9:45 AM and 12:00 PM to 1:45 PM.
Fruits provide elephants with essential nutrients and give them energy. Tourists usually bring fruits for the jumbos and even feed them.

Aim of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Tips while Visiting Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage expects its visitors to follow some of the below-mentioned rules.

Carry an identity proof to get discounted entry for SAARC Nationals and locals.
No smoking
Carrying a ticket is mandatory
Do not tease the animals and the vegetation
Do not make noise, like playing musical instruments, tape recorders, etc.
Do not enter restricted areas.

History of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was formed in 1975 by Sri Lanka Wildlife Department, in a twenty-five-acre coconut property beside the Maha Oya River. The operations of this site began by rescuing and nurturing five abandoned baby elephants from the dense forests of Sri Lanka.