Feed a baby elephantin Kandy, Sri Lanka

Come to Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage at lunch time - you'll get a possibility to feed a baby elephant with a feeding bottle.

At the beginning of the 70s the globalization took place in Sri Laka - forests were cut down massively to free space for building hotels and industrial buildings.

Dozens of Ceylonese elephants became homeless; baby elephants needed care the most. Thus an orphanage for five survived elephants was established.




Photo: Pinnawala, 90 creatures live in Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, © Eiko | Flickr

1. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a 2-hour bus drive from Kandy. Buy an entry ticket and head to open-air cage where elephants are fed (ask orphanage's workers to show you the way) - elephants bathe and lunch time is strictly scheduled. You can feed milk to elephants in the morning (9.15 - 9.45) and in the afternoon (13.15 - 13.45). Adult elephants eat fruits - their feeding time lasts 45 minutes at 9.00 and 12.00.

2. Make a deal with an orphanage's worker - for extra pay of 250 Rupees he'll give out a bottle with milk to you and show how to feed elephants. Big elephants eat bananas, you'd better buy the fruits before not to spend a fortune for them.

Location: Rambukkana, Sri Lanka
Open hours: 8:30 am - 6:30 pm
Official website: http://nationalzoo.gov.lk/elephantorphanage/

The orphanage is open daily from 8.30 till 17.30.

Adult entry ticket is 2500 Rupees, 3-12-year-old children is 1250 Rupees.

Feeding elephant with a feeding bottle costs 250 Rupees.

If you take a tuk tuk to get to the orphanage, say the name of the place twice - if you're a rubbernecker a driver can take you to private elephant orphanages to get commission for bringing visitors.