Pinnawala 2737455 213766334 2008-05-20T19:22:59Z AlbertHerring 753665 clean up and re-categorisation per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] '''Pinnawala''' is a [[village]] in [[Kegalle]] district of [[Sri Lanka]] and is around 90 km from the capital, [[Colombo]]. It is well known for its [[elephant]] [[orphanage]]. ==Elephant Orphanage== [[Image:pinnawala elephants.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Herd of Elephants bathing at the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage. Acknowledgements: ''Dominique Schreckling'']] The [[Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage]] is situated northwest of the town of [[Kegalle]], halfway between the present capital [[Colombo]] and the ancient royal residence [[Kandy]] in the hills of central [[Sri Lanka]]. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka wildlife department in a 25 [[acre]] coconut property near the [[Maha Oya]] river. The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the many orphaned [[elephant]]s found in the jungle. As of 2003, there were 65 elephants. In 1978 the orphanage was taken over by the National Zoological Gardens from the Department of Wildlife and a captive breeding program was launched in 1982. Since this time over twenty elephants have been born. The aim of the orphanage is to simulate the natural world. However, there are some exceptions: the elephants are taken to the river twice daily for a bath, and all the babies under three years of age are still bottle fed by the [[mahout]]s and volunteers. Each animal is also given around 76kg of green matter a day and around 2kg from a food bag containing rice bran and maize. They get access to water twice a day, from the river. The orphanage is very popular and visited daily by many Sri Lankan and foreign tourists. The main attraction is clearly to observe the bathing elephants from the tall river bank as it allows visitors to observe the herd interacting socially, bathing and playing. This 24 acre elephant orphanage is also a breeding place for elephants. Twenty elephants have been born since 1984, and the orphanage has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world. While most of the elephants are healthy, one is blind and one, named Sama, has lost her front left leg due to a [[landmine]]. ==External links== * [http://www.travelphoto.net/a-photo-a-day/wordpress/2004/11/01/photos-from-the-elephant-orphanage/ Images of orphanage] * [http://www.elephantsinneed.org/elephants.html Elephants in Sri Lanka] * [http://www.elephant.se/pinnawela_elephant_orphanage_Sri_Lanka.php Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage] {{coord|6|52|N|80|7|E|display=title}} [[Category:Cities, towns and villages in Sri Lanka]] {{SriLanka-geo-stub}}