Pinnawala: the two sides of the coin

Pinnawala orphanage is the most popular place to see large numbers of Elephants in a natural habitat. This place is especially loved by visitors because nowhere else you can see so many elephants at such close quarters. The government opened it in 1975 and the primary purpose of the orphanage has been to provide a lifeline to the orphaned baby elephants and adult elephants injured or lost in the wilderness. In many occasions, the mother of the orphaned baby elephant had been killed or there have been accidents of baby elephants falling into pits and losing out to the herd. The orphanage welcomes and takes care of these wonderful animals, unable to return to nature because of their inability, offering them a natural environment in which to live.

In addition to contributing financially to the support of the project, visitors have the opportunity to observe closely the activities of elephants such as swimming in the river or the games of babies.