Pinnawala

Pinnawala is a state elephant orphanage founded to protect abandoned or orphaned elephants. It is located near the town of Kegalle. The orphanage was established in 1975 and its original task was to care for 5 orphaned elephant calves. Over time, the number of elephants grew until the orphanage became one of the most sought-after tourist attractions in Sri Lanka. Here you can meet not only orphaned and abandoned elephants, but also those injured while living in the wild.

Among the famous residents is, for example, the elephant Sama, who lost a leg because of a land mine. With around 80 elephants, this is the place where you can see the most elephants together. And not only adults, but also baby elephants, whose feeding is one of the main experiences tourists can take away from here. It is also interesting to watch the regular bathing of elephants in the nearby river, which takes place twice a day at the same time. Every year one or two baby elephants are born here.