Description of the attraction
Pinnawala is a wild elephant nursery located in the village of Pinnawala, 13 km northwest of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa province. Pinnawala is famous in the world for its huge population of elephants living outside the will. The orphanage has 88 elephants, including 37 males and 51 females from three generations of elephants living in Pinnawala.
The nursery was founded to care for and protect newborn wild elephants found in the jungle of Sri Lanka. It was created in 1975 by the Wildlife Conservation Department and was originally located in the Wilpattu National Park, then it was moved to the tourist complex in Bentota, and then to the Dehiwala Zoo. From there, he was transferred to the village of Pinnawala on 10 hectares of coconut plantations adjacent to the Oya Maha River.
The main nursery area is on the east side of the B199 highway, on the road to Rambuccanu. The main complex includes several restaurants / kiosks and administrative buildings, including a veterinary office and a barn. The elephant bathing site and observation deck is directly opposite, on the west side of the highway.
At the time of the founding of the nursery, there were five cubs in it, which later became its nucleus. In 1978, the nursery was transferred to the Department of National Zoological Gardens of Sri Lanka. In 1982, an elephant breeding program was launched and continues to this day. The influx of new individuals continued until 1995, when a temporary home for elephants was created in Udawalawe National Park. Since then, the found elephants have been sent there, and the population in Pinnawala has begun to grow due to the natural offspring.
The proceeds from attracting local and foreign tourists help preserve the nursery. Since its inception, Pinnawala Nursery has become one of the main attractions of Sri Lanka. Tourists are invited not only to see, but also to participate in the feeding of the elephants.
Reviews
| All reviews 5 Irina 2013-17-05 12:17:15 PM
Elephants !!! Elephants in their natural habitat. One of the places where you can go with children. There are several restaurants near the river where you can have a snack and watch the bathing elephants. Very nice!!!
