Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Elephant Orphanage is an unfamiliar terminology, but it's absolutely
true and real. The secluded premises dedicated to provide a natural
habitat for captive elephant's weeks old babies to fifty-year-old
parents and grand parents. The herd can be sited in the orphanage-only
place of its kind of this population on earth to date.
The Pinnawala elephant orphanage was established in 1975 on a land
area of nine hectares, a prime land of coconut plantation. At the
inception there were only seven orphans. Some members of this generation
now given birth to the second and third generation and the story
continues.
Even though the orphanage has been focused on tourist attraction,
currently this location is a research centre concerned with conservation
and education about elephants.
Pinnawala elephant orphanage launched a scientific captive breeding
programs with the assistance of the local and foreign experts. The
environment provides the necessary freedom for the movement of elephants
and to mate.
The river the 'Maha Oya' by the side of the orphanage plays a vital
role and enable the elephants to mix and choose their partners. The
records have been written already in the history book, when the first
baby elephant named "Kumar".
The inmates of the orphanage was generally brought in their early
ages, and they were victims of the confrontation either with the humans
or the nature. Causes of nature are primarily due to desperate search
for water, and muddy fields are traps for these innocent creatures.
Every activity of the Pinnawala elephant orphanage has been planned
to a timetable. The baby elephants are bottle fed at 7.00 a.m. The gates
are opened for visitors at 8.30 a.m., while the elephants take the
stride to the valley near by and to the eastern side of the orphanage.
They could settle to move about in freedom, as many enjoy the mud/dust
bath.
At around 10.00 a.m. the herd of elephants move to the river for a
refreshing bath. The river - 'Maha Oya' - is the third largest river in
Sri Lankan, in terms of volume of water carried to sea.
The river possess the characteristics that provide a ideal bathing
atmosphere to elephants. The rocky bottom of the river provides isolated
swallow pools, where elephants dip to splash and bathe. The water level
generally is 1/2 metre high and the river provide continuous flow of
water in the dry months - February, July and August except in November
and June where the volume would fluctuate.
In the background a mountain range covered by a tropical rain forest
in the western horizon rises over the coconut and Kumbuk Trees.
By 1.15 p.m. baby elephants receive another dose of milk while
grown-up elephants receive snake of pellets. At 2.00 p.m. the elephants
proceed to the river and remain bathing until 4.00 p.m. After this
refreshing dip they return to the sheds.
At this time elephants receive their routine feed of foliage
comprised of Kitul Palm and trunk palm, coconut palm and Jak tree
including other varieties of plants of the big family.
The average quantity of food intake of a grown up elephant is 300 kg
of foliage and 200 litres of water daily. Baby elephants feed on formula
II powdered milk 5.5 litres as a time to make total of 27.5 litres a
day. They normally get 2-3 meals in the night depending on the age and
size.
More orphans join the orphanage year by year the captive population
grows and the breeding continues in the orphanage. The Pinnawala
Orphanage has recorded sixteen elephant births. The birth statistics
reveal that there was only one mortality stillbirth, within its 24 years
of operation.
To day, the elephants in orphanage give birth to at least two
elephants in every year. It's expected this want should increase in the
future.
Among the inmates of the orphanage, one can see that there are
elephants that are different in the their physical attributes.
'Raja' the blind tusker was a significant attraction. Mainly due to
his well-formed tusks longer than 1.2 metres, the elephant is simply
glorious! But, one can be misled to think that this tusker is absolutely
normal. If would be very pathetic to learn that this Jimbo was blind!
'Sama' a female six year's old elephant found in the jungle wandering
with untold pain due to a injury to her foreleg. Thanks to the medical
treatment received on time, which give her a relief, but the leg is
shorter than the regular ones. She walks limping as the whole body rests
mostly on one foreleg.
9 year's old 'Kiri Menika's story is interesting. She totally depends
on milk as her main source of food to live. She developed a throat
problem and finds it difficult to swallow solid food.
The management of the orphanage has taken due care to see to the
welfare of visitors within the premises. There are restaurants and
hotels close to the Orphanage, Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage has got a
museum and a laboratory where, keen visitors of elephants could clarify
their doubts.
They could obtain the information leaflets and other documentary
records at a reasonable price.
What's special about is that; the orphanage is open every day of the
year to visitors. |