Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala Sri Lanka

 

Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala Sri Lanka


Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala Sr Lanka is located close to Kegalle town, halfway between the Colombo & Kandy.

Elephant Orphanage Pinnawala is the only Elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka which was established in 1975 started with 5 orphaned elephants and the current population is 93 of both sexes / all age groups. Prime purpose of the Pinnawala Elephant orphanage is to provide refuge for the elephants which are injured / orphaned & abandoned in the wild. This orphanage is operating as a breeding ground too since 1980. Most of the new arrivals are babies and after a few days of quarantine, they are released into the herd who welcome them happily. Orphanage covers an area of 23 acre land in the middle of the county & managed by the Department of National Zoological Gardens. This is the largest captive herd of elephants in the world belonging to the Elephas maximus maximus.

Sri Lankan Elephant – Scientific name – Elephas maximus maximus; sub species of Asian elephant. Largest mammal on the earth & identified as endangered by the IUCN Red List. Two species in the World – African & Asian; consumes 250 kg of food, 120 Ltr water per day; gestation period 22 months: memory is extraordinarily long; Average birth weight 105 KG; Height – 10 to 13 FT; Weight 3500 – 12000 KG; Life span 60 – 75 Y; only 7% of Sri Lankan males bear tusks whereas Africa 60% ; Africa both male & female bear tusks; Tusk Growing 18 CM per year & maturity 3 Mts long / 90 KG weight; Trunk can suck 14 Ltr of water at a time; Elephant communicates “Sub Sonically” maximum 10 km; Skin 2.5 CM Thick; Elephant Population in Sri Lanka is 5897 as per the 2011 elephant census. Elephants hold a central position in the country’s two main religions Buddhism and Hinduism as well as in Sri Lankan culture.

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