Golden Jubilee at Pinnawala: 50 Years of Dedication to Sri Lanka’s Elephants
Sri Lanka celebrated the golden jubilee of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on Sunday, marking 50 years of dedication to the care and conservation of elephants. The iconic sanctuary, located about 90 km from Colombo in Rambukkana, was inaugurated in 1975 and has since become a major landmark for wildlife conservation.
Sri Lanka celebrated the golden jubilee of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on Sunday, marking 50 years of dedication to the care and conservation of elephants. The iconic sanctuary, located about 90 km from Colombo in Rambukkana, was inaugurated in 1975 and has since become a major landmark for wildlife conservation.
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Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage: A Legacy of Care and Conservation
The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was established with a vision to provide refuge to baby elephants who are orphaned or injured. The facility initially began with just five elephants, and today, it provides care for 69 elephants of various age groups. Director General of the Zoological Department, Chandana Rajapaksa, shared that the orphanage offers a safe haven for elephants who face mishaps, such as falling into pits or becoming separated from their herds in the wild.
The orphanage’s success is supported by over 50 dedicated elephant handlers who care for the animals, ensuring their well-being and maintaining the sanctuary.
Special Celebration and Elephant Feast
To mark the 50th anniversary, the elephants were treated to a special feast of fruits, with videos shared on the Department of National Zoological Gardens’ official Facebook page showing officials cutting a large cake for the elephants. Visitors were also invited to feed fruits to the elephants as part of the celebrations.
A post from the Department of National Zoological Gardens read, “Join us as we mark 50 years of dedication, love, and care for these incredible elephants. It’s been an unforgettable journey, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of all our visitors, partners, and elephant lovers around the world.”
A Popular Destination for Tourists
The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage attracts thousands of visitors daily, offering a unique opportunity to witness the daily routine of the elephants. Tourists can observe activities such as bottle-feeding calves, feeding adult elephants, and watching the elephants being guided to the river for their daily baths.
Feeding and Care at the Orphanage
Rajapaksa also highlighted the substantial resources required to feed the elephants, with the orphanage using around 5,000 branches of coconut, sugar palm, and jackfruit. Weaker elephants are provided with additional nutrition, including cereals, rice bran, and maize, along with large quantities of pineapples and bananas.
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Births and Milestones at Pinnawala
Since its inception, the orphanage has seen over 75 elephant births. A notable milestone occurred in 2021 when twin male elephants were born at the facility. The oldest elephant at the orphanage is now 70 years old, making the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage a testament to long-term elephant conservation and welfare.
