Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is the most popular and accessible destination to see large numbers of elephants in a natural habitat. It is located at Pinnawala village, 13 km northeast of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was started in 1975 by the Department of Wildlife on a twenty five acre coconut property on the Maha Oya River at Rambukkana. The orphanage was primarily designed as place for shelter and care the wounded elephants and abandoned baby elephants found in jungle. Visitors can see different elephant’s events such as bathing in river, drinking milk in the bottle, eating foods and their playing games. Even though the orphanage has been focused on tourist attraction, currently this location is a research center concerned with conservation and education about elephants.
